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A review by aforestofbooks
The Davenports by Krystal Marquis
informative
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Keeping this short. Overall, this book was okay. I did appreciate the historical fiction aspects of this book, mainly seeing rich Black families like the Davenports and Tremaines interacting in a world that we're predominantly told is white and privileged. It's a part of history we're not taught about at all, so it was nice to see how successful and influential Black families could be. We also get to see the difference in Olivia and her siblings' upbringing, versus those members of her household and community who didn't grow up as privileged. We get to see the stark contrast with how Amy-Rose and Mr. Branson are treated for being part-white, and the increasing pressures Helen and Ruby experience in navigating their social lives and marriages.
That being said, this book is primarily a historical romance, and while I have not watched Bridgerton, everything I've heard about the show, sort of gave me similar vibes with this book–except of course, this book is written by an actual Black author so imo it is superior even if I didn't love the romance. Some of this book was kind of predictable. And I was not a fan of Helen's romance mainly because everything about her spoke to her not being interested in romance at all. I would have rather appreciated if she didn't end up having to fall in love like all the other characters. The ending leaves things sort of open, which explains why this is probably going to be a series of books. We don't exactly get happy endings for all the characters, and even the ones we do, it is sort of bittersweet.
I did like the inclusion of the Jim Crow laws and Olivia's activism. I think I would have liked to see more of that overall, but I think that's just because I prefer historical fiction to historical romance. Though, I did thoroughly enjoy the balls and dresses and dancing, because who doesn't enjoy that. This book really kind of read like a movie/Netflix show, and I think I would probably enjoy it more in that format.
Overall, 3/5 stars.
That being said, this book is primarily a historical romance, and while I have not watched Bridgerton, everything I've heard about the show, sort of gave me similar vibes with this book–except of course, this book is written by an actual Black author so imo it is superior even if I didn't love the romance. Some of this book was kind of predictable. And I was not a fan of Helen's romance mainly because everything about her spoke to her not being interested in romance at all. I would have rather appreciated if she didn't end up having to fall in love like all the other characters. The ending leaves things sort of open, which explains why this is probably going to be a series of books. We don't exactly get happy endings for all the characters, and even the ones we do, it is sort of bittersweet.
I did like the inclusion of the Jim Crow laws and Olivia's activism. I think I would have liked to see more of that overall, but I think that's just because I prefer historical fiction to historical romance. Though, I did thoroughly enjoy the balls and dresses and dancing, because who doesn't enjoy that. This book really kind of read like a movie/Netflix show, and I think I would probably enjoy it more in that format.
Overall, 3/5 stars.