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nerdybookqueen's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This novel introduces us to four amazing black women living in Chicago in the early 1910s. We follow their story of trying to find happiness and reaching their desires in their world against family expectations, misogyny, class, and racism. Through four separate POVs we get to meet each of the girls and explore their lives. I don't normally like multiple POVs, but this one, even with four POVs, was written so well, leaving me invested in each of their lives.
First we have Olivia, a woman who meets society's expectations for a woman of her status, looking for a husband, doing charity, etc. Until she stumbles into a civil rights meeting, and in addition to finding herself very attracted to the speaker at the meeting, discovers a desire to stand up for people like her across the country and fight against societal issues like Jim Crow. But, she has a match her parents like, and those same parents are scared for her safety, given their own experiences when they moved to Chicago.
Next, her younger sister Helen, a tomboy who wants nothing to do with the expectations put upon her, only wanting to fix automobiles with her brother in their family shop. She's foiled by her family hiring a manners coach for her, and falling in love with the man she things her sister loves. Her story centered around proving herself and fixing out her love life.
Next is Ruby, Olivia's best friend, whose father is running for mayor, and as such, her family is broke. Struggling to cope with this massive change in her life, she is also trying to win the love of her old crush, Olivia and Helen's brother, John, both to please her parents and, she thinks, herself. But, in her ploy to win his heart, she stumbles into love with another man, and has to decide what is more important to her: her parents approval or her own heart.
Finally, there's Amy Rose, a maid in the Davenport's home who wants to be a business owner (think Madam C. J. Walker). She's saved for a spot in town to sell her wares, and, to her dismay, finds herself falling for John. She faces both a combination of misogyny and racism as a black woman trying to start a business, and class issues both for her business and in getting approval for her and John's relationship.
Their worlds fall apart towards the end of the book, and I can't wait for the sequel in the hopes things improve. The characters are great and engaging and I love them. My only main grievance is I hate that it falls into the corset trap or treating them like terrible torture devices. They're just bras. They just hold parts where they need to be. If anything, with all the things Helen does, she would need the support most.
First we have Olivia, a woman who meets society's expectations for a woman of her status, looking for a husband, doing charity, etc. Until she stumbles into a civil rights meeting, and in addition to finding herself very attracted to the speaker at the meeting, discovers a desire to stand up for people like her across the country and fight against societal issues like Jim Crow. But, she has a match her parents like, and those same parents are scared for her safety, given their own experiences when they moved to Chicago.
Next, her younger sister Helen, a tomboy who wants nothing to do with the expectations put upon her, only wanting to fix automobiles with her brother in their family shop. She's foiled by her family hiring a manners coach for her, and falling in love with the man she things her sister loves. Her story centered around proving herself and fixing out her love life.
Next is Ruby, Olivia's best friend, whose father is running for mayor, and as such, her family is broke. Struggling to cope with this massive change in her life, she is also trying to win the love of her old crush, Olivia and Helen's brother, John, both to please her parents and, she thinks, herself. But, in her ploy to win his heart, she stumbles into love with another man, and has to decide what is more important to her: her parents approval or her own heart.
Finally, there's Amy Rose, a maid in the Davenport's home who wants to be a business owner (think Madam C. J. Walker). She's saved for a spot in town to sell her wares, and, to her dismay, finds herself falling for John. She faces both a combination of misogyny and racism as a black woman trying to start a business, and class issues both for her business and in getting approval for her and John's relationship.
Their worlds fall apart towards the end of the book, and I can't wait for the sequel in the hopes things improve. The characters are great and engaging and I love them. My only main grievance is I hate that it falls into the corset trap or treating them like terrible torture devices. They're just bras. They just hold parts where they need to be. If anything, with all the things Helen does, she would need the support most.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny, Racism, Violence, Police brutality, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Moderate: Slavery
Minor: Death and Death of parent
literallyilliterate's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.5
I liked this book but ultimately, it leaned more toward the romance side than the historical side, and I guess I just wanted more?
• —– ٠ ✤ ٠ —– • ·• —– ٠ ✤ ٠ —– • ·
In The Davenports, we follow one of the wealthiest Black families in 1910s Chicago, as well as the people closely connected with them, as they find love and learn to forge their own paths in life.
Olivia is the oldest of the two Davenport sisters. Her parents put a lot of pressure on her to uphold the family name and she is expected to get married as soon as possible. When a British man named Jacob Lawrence comes to town, they quickly force the two together. However, Olivia falls in love with a different man: Washington DeWight, a lawyer and civil rights leader. I loved seeing Olivia become more involved in activism and using her privilege to help her people. And their romance was sweet, I can't lie.
Helen is the younger Davenport sister, who would much rather tinker with carriages than fall in love. Until she meets her sister's suitor. I feel like Helen was one of the underdeveloped characters in the story, and I don't have much to say about her.
Amy-Rose is a servant to the Davenports and childhood friends with the three siblings. Her dream to open a Black hair salon is within reach, but she's torn between chasing this dream or her feelings for John, the eldest Davenport sibling. Again, not much to say about Amy-Rose. But she was sweet.
Ruby is part of the Tremaine family, another wealthy Black family, and she is best friends with Olivia. Her father has been running for office in the hopes of helping their people, and money has been tight in the house. In addition, it has always been expected that Ruby would marry John Davenport, but when she conjures up a plan to win him over using Harrison Barton, she finds herself falling for Harrison instead. They were my favorite couple, and I was rooting for them.
I just did not connect to these characters very much. It's hard to write a story told from multiple points of view, and I think having so many took away from the time that could've been spent really developing one or two. I'm glad there's a sequel coming out but this book didn't leave me with much of an impression. I also wish the discussions on race, class, and gender were taken a little farther. Normally I'm not too particular about that stuff one way or another, but it felt important and relevant in a book about Black women. The romances definitely took center stage, and while they were sweet, some of the scenes were a bit more detailed than I personally like. This was still a clean book though, and there was no cheating, so I'll take it!
I went into The Davenports thinking it reminded me of a historical, Black version of American Royals. I was not wrong. I'm interested to read the sequel, and I hope it will further develop some of these characters and their stories.
• —– ٠ ✤ ٠ —– • ·• —– ٠ ✤ ٠ —– • ·
Genre: Young Adult Historical Romance
Swearing: 0.5/5
Sexual Content: 0.5/5 (basically just really detailed kissing)
Violence: 0.5/5
• —– ٠ ✤ ٠ —– • ·• —– ٠ ✤ ٠ —– • ·
In The Davenports, we follow one of the wealthiest Black families in 1910s Chicago, as well as the people closely connected with them, as they find love and learn to forge their own paths in life.
Olivia is the oldest of the two Davenport sisters. Her parents put a lot of pressure on her to uphold the family name and she is expected to get married as soon as possible. When a British man named Jacob Lawrence comes to town, they quickly force the two together. However, Olivia falls in love with a different man: Washington DeWight, a lawyer and civil rights leader. I loved seeing Olivia become more involved in activism and using her privilege to help her people. And their romance was sweet, I can't lie.
Helen is the younger Davenport sister, who would much rather tinker with carriages than fall in love. Until she meets her sister's suitor. I feel like Helen was one of the underdeveloped characters in the story, and I don't have much to say about her.
Amy-Rose is a servant to the Davenports and childhood friends with the three siblings. Her dream to open a Black hair salon is within reach, but she's torn between chasing this dream or her feelings for John, the eldest Davenport sibling. Again, not much to say about Amy-Rose. But she was sweet.
Ruby is part of the Tremaine family, another wealthy Black family, and she is best friends with Olivia. Her father has been running for office in the hopes of helping their people, and money has been tight in the house. In addition, it has always been expected that Ruby would marry John Davenport, but when she conjures up a plan to win him over using Harrison Barton, she finds herself falling for Harrison instead. They were my favorite couple, and I was rooting for them.
I just did not connect to these characters very much. It's hard to write a story told from multiple points of view, and I think having so many took away from the time that could've been spent really developing one or two. I'm glad there's a sequel coming out but this book didn't leave me with much of an impression. I also wish the discussions on race, class, and gender were taken a little farther. Normally I'm not too particular about that stuff one way or another, but it felt important and relevant in a book about Black women. The romances definitely took center stage, and while they were sweet, some of the scenes were a bit more detailed than I personally like. This was still a clean book though, and there was no cheating, so I'll take it!
I went into The Davenports thinking it reminded me of a historical, Black version of American Royals. I was not wrong. I'm interested to read the sequel, and I hope it will further develop some of these characters and their stories.
• —– ٠ ✤ ٠ —– • ·• —– ٠ ✤ ٠ —– • ·
Genre: Young Adult Historical Romance
Swearing: 0.5/5
Sexual Content: 0.5/5 (basically just really detailed kissing)
Violence: 0.5/5
Content Warnings
Minor: Misogyny, Racism, Sexism, Violence, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
caitlinemccann's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Misogyny, Racism, Sexism, Slavery, Police brutality, and Classism
Minor: Grief, Death of parent, and Injury/Injury detail
jaz_gets_literary's review
adventurous
lighthearted
relaxing
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
This was my first historical fiction book and I was pleasantly surprised that I enjoyed it as much as I did. I looked looking at 4 very different Black women going through the woes of love in 1910 Chicago. It was a very different time then and even though 3 of them came from wealthy families they still didn’t have the same plight. From societal pressures to family over involvement, these 4 woman having the decide if they are going to listen to everyone else or what their heart truly wants. What the heart wants can come with a price though. I also enjoyed the inclusion of the Jim Crow movement and how it did or did t sway the women’s decisions.
I believe I’ve found my way into a new genre and I cannot wait to read the next installment in November.
I believe I’ve found my way into a new genre and I cannot wait to read the next installment in November.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Racism, Sexism, Death of parent, and Classism
filmnoirz's review against another edition
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
loved this so so so much. i love stories of Black resilience and success, especially when it goes beyond (albeit not as much as i would’ve liked) the capitalist view of what that is. the romance was so compelling and I loved almost all of the characters. there was no one I rooted for more than olivia and amy-rose (my girls!!!). I didn’t love the ending but I respect it, and like how the author left it kind of open ended.
Content Warnings
Minor: Racial slurs, Racism, Slavery, Violence, Police brutality, and Death of parent
a_libra_library's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
inspiring
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Cursing, Emotional abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Death of parent, Colonisation, and Classism
bedtimesandbooks's review against another edition
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Hate crime, Racism, Sexism, Slavery, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Moderate: Murder
bbbeth's review against another edition
emotional
informative
lighthearted
relaxing
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin's Random House Children's UK for providing me with an e-ARC in exchange for a review.
3 ⭐️
A big ol' bag of mixed feelings for me on this one!
There were times when I really enjoyed the book, enjoyed the characters, got invested in the relationships. It was interesting to read about Black characters in the turn of the century, an area I've not read into much before - so I've no idea how historically accurate it was, but definitely enjoyed it at times.
However... I do think in this case the four different POVs, all with largely separate plot lines, was too many. Most of the characters felt a little underdeveloped to me, as did the relationships. I found the pacing a little fickle in some places too - going a bit too quick sometimes, a bit too slow in others. I found some of the ~drama~ in the relationships both a little bit pointless and far too drawn out at points. I also thoroughly disliked John as a love interest, lol.Between Amy-Rose and Ruby's POVs, I thought he was a jerk for stringing them both along like that. It seems like they're being set up to mend their relationship in a next book, but I'm certain I want that to happen.
Overall, I didn't dislike this book - I generally enjoyed it and I certainly think others would too - but it was lacking in lots of areas as well, for me. I wasn't aware that this book is intended to be the first in a series, and it does finish with loose ends, which I don't love because I'm not sure yet whether I'd be interested in reading the next one. Only time will tell!
3 ⭐️
A big ol' bag of mixed feelings for me on this one!
There were times when I really enjoyed the book, enjoyed the characters, got invested in the relationships. It was interesting to read about Black characters in the turn of the century, an area I've not read into much before - so I've no idea how historically accurate it was, but definitely enjoyed it at times.
However... I do think in this case the four different POVs, all with largely separate plot lines, was too many. Most of the characters felt a little underdeveloped to me, as did the relationships. I found the pacing a little fickle in some places too - going a bit too quick sometimes, a bit too slow in others. I found some of the ~drama~ in the relationships both a little bit pointless and far too drawn out at points. I also thoroughly disliked John as a love interest, lol.
Overall, I didn't dislike this book - I generally enjoyed it and I certainly think others would too - but it was lacking in lots of areas as well, for me. I wasn't aware that this book is intended to be the first in a series, and it does finish with loose ends, which I don't love because I'm not sure yet whether I'd be interested in reading the next one. Only time will tell!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Misogyny, Racism, Slavery, Police brutality, and Death of parent
Minor: Violence and Classism