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A review by literallyilliterate
The Davenports by Krystal Marquis
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