Set in Chicago during the early 1900s, The Davenports is meant to deliver a story about a Black family who, at this timWhat a disappointment this was.
Set in Chicago during the early 1900s, The Davenports is meant to deliver a story about a Black family who, at this time, were one of the few who achieved immense success, and show how they navigated high society and business.
That was what this book promised: a lesser known history of the Black elite from the early 1900s. But in reality, this promising setting was hardly a backdrop for a romance novel.
I love romance, and despite my disappointment about this book not delving more into the historical aspect, I was ready to get invested in the romance. But it's hard to care about a romance when you don't care about any of the characters. None! There are four POVs:
- Olivia Davenport, who is incredibly bland - Helen Davenport, who tries so hard to be different that she ends up being just as bland as her sister - Amy-Rose, whose entire personality is being a biracial woman - and Ruby Tremaine, who had the most potential. I certainly liked her the best, but did I like her? Not quite. Although she's more tangible than the others, her outspoken personality is still half-assed, and her familial tensions are explained but rarely felt
The author then decided to take these cardboard cutouts pretending to be humans and give ALL of them love interests. That's right; this book revolved around not one, not two, not even three, but FOUR romances. Maybe a more adept author could've handled properly developing four romances over the span of 372 pages, but as it was, my interest was spread too thin. I never got to know the characters individually, and I never got to know them in a relationship, and as a result, I did not care about anyone.
The men these ladies were paired with certainly did not help flesh out their characters. Somehow, they were even more bland. There was:
- Washington DeWight, whose initial cockiness I actually did quite like—but then he completely lost his personality when he "fell in love," as one does ig - Jacob Lawrence, who honestly falls in love with whichever girl is in front of him, and who can blame him? They are all the same, and he, having no personality, has no preference either I suppose - John, who is kind of pathetic tbh. Can't speak up about who he loves, who he doesn't love, or his goals in life. Why are you here, bro? - Barton, whose personality is also being biracial (seriously what's with the biracial people making that their entire personality?)
On top of the bland characters, the writing style is also difficult to connect to. Hard to care about conversations when they're only reported, not shown. And I would have appreciated more internality for every POV.
It was with relief I finally finished the book, but imagine my surprise when I discovered that it's the first in a series. How are you going to draw out a nonexistent plot for a whole other book? That's wild. I won't be reading on to find out....more
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