The Davenports are one of the few Black families of immense wealth and status in a changing United States, their fortune made through the entrepreneurship of William Davenport, a formerly enslaved man who founded the Davenport Carriage Company years ago. Now it’s 1910, and the Davenports live surrounded by servants, crystal chandeliers, and endless parties, finding their way and finding love—even where they’re not supposed to.
There is Olivia, the beautiful elder Davenport daughter, ready to do her duty by getting married . . . until she meets the charismatic civil rights leader Washington DeWight and sparks fly. The younger daughter, Helen, is more interested in fixing cars than falling in love—unless it’s with her sister’s suitor. Amy-Rose, the childhood friend turned maid to the Davenport sisters, dreams of opening her own business—and marrying the one man she could never be with, Olivia and Helen’s brother, John. But Olivia’s best friend, Ruby, also has her sights set on John Davenport, though she can’t seem to keep his interest . . . until family pressure has her scheming to win his heart, just as someone else wins hers.
Inspired by the real-life story of the Patterson family, The Davenports is the tale of four determined and passionate young Black women discovering the courage to steer their own path in life—and love.
Release Date: Jan 31, 2023
Heat Level: Warm
Publisher: Penguin Group
Imprint: Dial Books
Price: $10.99
YA? More like New Adult Historical Romance.
First up, a friendly reminder that sometimes I’ll pick a book to review based on a blurb or a title. Sometimes a cover. I like finding new-to-me authors and believe in keeping my horizons open. I was floored after finishing this read to discover it categorized as YA because the ladies and gentlemen in this story slide more into the New Adult world vs. YA. Let me say that New Adult historical romance isn’t really a thing, so I don’t hold that against this book. End my momentary soap box moment.
Let’s talk about what I liked – the setting, the characters, the families, and the year 1910s Chicago (yes, please). Give me more about a wealthy Black family making their own way and their children, plus friends, who are trying to navigate their own path in a complicated world where everyone should belong you don’t always because of one circumstance or another. It was a refreshing and completely different historical take that I got whisked away by in fantastic ways.
How did the whisking occur? I got invested in four young women who are trying to figure out who they are and where they belong amid familial, societal, and world-at-large expectations. That’s something anyone, from any background or social class, can get behind. There are also so many characters I loved reading about. From the British businessman, the biracial maid from the Caribbean, the biracial banker from Louisiana, the activist lawyer from down south, the daughter of predominant Black family running for mayor, and even the rich daughter with a secret habit of working on cars. Bonus points to me wondering what’s in store for Tommy, the stable worker/driver, and his venture out to California. This story gave me Downton Abbey feels that I could easily escape into. Olivia, Helen, Ruby, and Amy-Rose have so much life, and I could see a bit of myself in each one of them.
Now I know what you’re thinking, four points of view, that’s a lot. I thought the same thing at first. How would I keep up with four different viewpoints? There were times I wished Marquis had provided each of these women with their own story, though the storylines intertwine cohesively. I was able to enjoy each woman’s story, even as I craved more time inside their heads. I will say what keeps this rating from higher than a 3.5 is the ending.
It’s not that everything was awful, but I finished the book feeling unfulfilled. Three of the four women’s futures are uncertain… to be honest, I’m not confident the one resolution is truly set in stone. It was a giant cliffhanger with no immediate resolution in sight, and while I am eager to know how things turn out for all four women, my gut churned when I couldn’t get any more pages.
Overall, if you want historical romance with a sweet bent, a New Adult-style setting, and a chance to fall in love with some fabulous characters, you can’t go wrong with The Davenports. Note the heartbreak that might ensue when you reach the cliffhanger ending. There are no comp reads, as Marquis is forging a new path for historical YA/NA romance, and I’m interested to see where it goes.
~ Landra
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