YA historical romance - perfect for Black History Month

The Davenports takes place in the Reconstruction era when Jim Crow laws are being put in place, when the industrial economy is starting to boom, when the US is expanding westward, when lifestyles are changing drastically. In the Davenports, you're immersed in the Black diaspora of the era - affluent families who have significant political and social clout in Chicago, the working class trying to make it on their own, activists who are fighting for racial equality, females trying to exert their own autonomy. And there are multiple romantic threads following the main four female characters told from their perspectives, each exerting their own will as they try to make choices for themselves even when their families and the greater society doesn't allow them to do so. This is still very much a YA story that is easy to read and entertaining, you'll definitely go through an emotional roller coaster along with the characters, but even though there are some tough moments, this still feels like a hopeful, positive book that doesn't get caught into dark times. It's the kind of soap opera that is a guilty and fun indulgence. This is the first of the series and I'm excited to see how the storylines continue.

4.5/5 for being thoroughly entertaining even if mostly on a light level. Many thanks to Bookish First and Dial Books for the ARC.