When Layla meets Andy and he asks where in Scotland her grandfather comes from, she makes the tart comeback that he’s from that Scottish place, Jamaica, “The part that enjoyed sugar and rum and lots of overseas travel for a couple of hundred years”. But the link between their family names is no joke, and, darting backwards and forwards through about 18 months, with a few scenes in Layla and best friend Sera’s childhood and adolescence, against a background of the Covid lockdowns and the burgeoning of the Black Lives Matter movement, with Sera doing her research and sharing documentaries on slave holders, things begin to complicate and sour.

Suddenly Layla’s remembering all those times she hasn’t been “Black enough” for the darker Sera, and has been forcefully reminded of her privilege within the context of colourism and then things begin to go adrift in her family as she starts to hide these worries from her mum and sees her grandfather starting to become more frail (in an exciting moment, he lives in Erdington, Birmingham, where some of my in-laws live!).

While Andy is yet another Rich White Man in a relationship with a Black woman, he kind of needs to be for the plot, as he needs to have inherited money and privilege from decidedly shady and unpleasant dealings of his ancestors; I started complaining that he could be descended from someone in the Church of England but the paybacks there were not as high as for individuals once the slave trade was abolished, and to be fair, the book does mention those slave owners as well as the aristocratic ones. Andy makes well-meaning mistakes and his family do worse, including a discussion of the colour of any children they might have (cleverly echoing Sera’s claim that Layla will lose her family’s nose and curly hair by diluting her heritage further) but there is genuine modelling of learning, respect and willingness to change that makes the reader hope rather than just sigh.

Blog review published 14 March 2024: https://librofulltime.wordpress.com/2024/03/14/book-review-phoebe-mcintosh-dominoes/

I really enjoyed this.

By the time I got round to reading it I'd forgotten the blurb and so was surprised to find out was set in the UK. We hear so many stories of slavery in other countries it's easy to forget the impact of it on British cultures.

I enjoyed the relationship between Layla and Andy, and loved their first meeting, it was so realistic and relatable.

Overall this was a really thought provoking read and I imagine it being great for book clubs and discussions around it.

This was a really emotional and deep hitting book. It opens up a lot around slavery and racism, and it's a fantastic way to get people to think and research, as we feel the emotions throughout.
A very poignant story and I devoured it in 24 hours! Incredible work.
A huge thank you to the author, publisher and netgalley for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

Dominoes is a thought-provoking novel set in London and Jamaica. Layla, a teacher, is biracial and engaged to a white scotsman, however they both share the same surname. The story explores their possible shared ancestry and the impact of slavery on their differing histories. Its sensitively written, offering an insight into generational trauma and the continuing impact the past has on our lives - I enjoyed the characters and the vibrancy - definitely one I'll recommend.
WIth thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

When Layla meets Andy they quickly fall in love and are amused that they share the same surname. However after Layla’s friend Sera raises her concerns Layla soon begins to fear that Andy’s ancestors may have been slave owners who owned her ancestors from Jamaica.
This is definitely an insightful and thought provoking read, bringing together the history of the slave trade, Windrush and Black Lives Matter and explores the impact of the slave trade on today’s generation. It’s a thoughtful and sensitive exploration that will really stay with me.
However I do feel that the novel worked less well as a romance, I felt that there was a weakness in the characterisation and I did find Sera overly harsh.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this digital ARC.
3.5 stars

Interesting read about trying to find out who you are when you thought you knew. Layla is a biracal Londoner who is on the count down to getting married when an intervention makes her consider her future. Layla hasn't thought much about her background, she knows she's Jamaican on her mum side and father's background is unknown apart from the fact that he's white. Falling in love with Andy who is white, shouldn't be an issue but eventually is.
What would you do if you found out that your fiancé's family were slave owners? And worse yet may have owned your ancestors. This knowledge takes Layla on a journey that will make her really consider her heritage, history and evaluate what she wants out of life.

Naturally family is an important theme in this book as is identity and love. Relationships are real, honest and you get the feeling that whilst the premise might be contrived- what are the odds of falling in love with a person with the same family name - the depictions are spot on. There are some characters I liked more than others and in some instances, it seemed as if they were written that way. Ultimately there was a decision to be made and Layla initially reluctant, started to identify what she valued in life. It's a hard decision to self evaluate your life but she did the work and reflection generally bring rewards.

My thanks to NetGalley and publishers for a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was an interesting take on slavery and the british role in the slave trade by
highlighting the repercussions to the present generation.
I did find it slightly preachy at times, and didnt always believe in the characters, but overall a good read
Thank you to netgalley and vintage for an advance copy of this book.
3.5 rounded up to 4 stars

So many things to digest, think and talk about after finishing this book.

When Layla, a mixed race woman, and Andy, a white man of Scottish decent meet, it's a fun surprise at first that they share the same last name "McKinnon". However when Layla's best friend Sera starts getting involved with Layla's and Andy's ancestors, things start taking a turn for the worst. A month before the wedding, Layla starts having doubts because how could she marry a man whose ancestors could well have owned and enslaved her own?

I appreciate that there is a love story in the book and that it's not the main plot, it's still a very much strong factor in it however it's more about friendship, about finding and loving yourself. My favourite character will definitely have to be Roy, Layla's grandfather, he's so full of life and joy and doesn't regret his life (loved him even more when he decided to head back to Jamaica).
I will say that Sera did annoy me, as much as she came from a good place to protect her friend, she definitely could've done it differently and with more sympathy towards Layla.

Phoebe McIntosh did a great job mixing love, friendships and family in 'Dominoes', so I will admit I did shed a tear or two.

I loved both the premise and the execution of Phoebe McIntosh's novel 'Dominoes'. Layla MacKinnon is a teacher whose grandfather came to England from Jamaica in the 1950s. When she meets Andy MacKinnon, they immediately develop a strong chemistry. But Layla's best friend Sera is wary of her going out with a white boy, particularly one from such a privileged background. We follow Layla and Andy's relationship over summer holidays leading up to their wedding, with frequent flashbacks to earlier points in Layla's life, during which Layla learns more about how her family history and Andy's may be intertwined and is faced with a huge dilemma.

This is a brilliantly readable romance story with well-realised characters. In particular, McIntosh captures Layla's feeling of being torn between her partner and her best friend, both of whom are complex and believable. This is coupled with a real depth of engagement with issues of racial justice, from the slave trade through the Windrush generation to Black Lives Matter. McIntosh treats these topics sensitively and seriously, and allows us to feel the pain of the racism experienced by many characters in the novel but avoids presenting Layla's dilemma as a zero-sum-game.

The novel this reminded me of most was probably Kiley Reid's 'Such a Fun Age', which also deals with a complicated relationship between a white man and a Black woman against the backdrop of a society that is grappling with racism. 'Dominoes' is a similarly compelling read. But whereas Reid's tone is often more satirical, McIntosh's writing becomes increasingly heartfelt, especially in the novel's final chapters, offering some optimism and hope for the future. Like 'Such a Fun Age', this novel deserves to be widely read because of the powerful questions it provokes. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for sending me an ARC to review.

I enjoyed reading this book. Thank you to the writer, publisher, and NetGalley for allowing me to read it

There's a lot of food for thought and it's an intriguing and important story. I appreciated the plot and what the author wanted to communicate.
I wasn't a fan of the style of writing that I found a bit too over the top at times.
It's a good book that I recommend.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

Sera and Layla have been best friends since primary school. They share fun, laughter., Cultural background, and opinions and ideals.
When Layla meets Andy at a party, they both find it amusing to discover they have the same surname as each other. However, the truth has a sinister background as it transpires that Andy’s ancestors were slave owners and they owned Layla’s ancestors.
This information is only discovered by Layla after she has become engaged to marry Andy. This makes for uncomfortable, yet compelling reading as Layla tries to find out more about her past, and her future with Andy is thrown into question.

This book has inspired a lot of conversations.
It’s a love story essentially, but it’s also more than that.
Layla and Andrew meet at a party and discover that they have the same surname, but when they decide to get married there’s a whole lot of soul searching to be done.
I enjoyed this story as it got me thinking about things that I hadn’t considered before.
Good for book groups.

Thanks to #NetGalley and #publishers for an #ARC of #Dominoes.
Discovering you have the same surname as the man you are about to marry is a huge coincidence, but what if it isn't.
A very interesting, thought provoking book following Leyla and Andy in the lead up to their wedding, and where best friend and maid of honor Sera has thrown a spanner in the works regarding the 'coincidence' of the name and their two families intertwined history. Follow Leyla through discovering who she really is, and if she wants to marry her husband-to-be and lose her best friend, or vice versa.
I have mixed feelings about this book. While the subject matter was very interesting and eye opening, there was some writing which seemed to veer off track. On more than one occasion I found myself a little lost as the author seemed to jump from one topic to another without any preface or inclination to suggest we weren't following the same train of thought that we were on in the previous sentence. However, I would still put it as one of my top reads, I enjoyed the premise of the book as a whole.

I found this a super thought-provoking read, while I did guess at the implications related to sharing a name this explored that concept in a deeply interesting way. I did find the beginning slightly disjointed, but got into things as I went along. Will deffo recommend!

This book was ok, probably aimed at a younger reader . Having said that I really liked the main character, a girl of mixed race who was comfortable in her own skin, until her best friend threw a spanner in the works
Found the "Jamaican/ English" spoken by her grandfather hard work but I survived
The desire to trace family roots may not always give you the result you wished for, this is not a reason not to do it and hopefully will bring peace of mind

I thoroughly enjoyed Phoebe McIntosh's book, "Dominoes." The premise of the characters who were getting married sharing the same surname, but being unrelated, hooked me from the start. The mystery surrounding Layla's best friend, Sera, and her potential impact on Layla's wedding added a compelling layer to the story. While Sera's ultimatum seemed unrealistic for someone who was considered Layla's lifelong best friend, it added necessary tension to the story, compounding Layla's confusion over what she should do. Layla's internal struggle was justified given the historical contexts explored, though her reluctance to communicate with those around her was particularly frustrating. Grandad was a standout character, adding warmth and depth to the narrative throughout. The book tackled challenging themes like slavery and racism, providing a thought-provoking reading experience that left me reflecting on the issues presented.
Thanks so much to the Author, Publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to read this ARC in exchange for offering my honest opinion.

A nice story well written but I felt very early on that I was probably not a member of the target audience being well over 35! I really couldn't identify with or care about any of the characters who mainly just annoyed me. I'm sure younger readers will love this but not for me. Sorry.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read an advance copy. All opinions are my own.

Developed from Phoebe McIntosh’s one woman show, Dominoes follows the lead up to the wedding of Layla McKinnon & Andy McKinnon (no relation).

Whilst it initially seemed cool that they shared that last name (meant to be?!) with less than a month to go before their wedding, Layla’s best friend Sera sets her off on a research trail into their family histories. Proving that not everything is black & white, this poignant book explores the relationships between both families and the generations within, alongside wider societal relationships over time.

This book reminded me of Colin Jackson’s episode of Who Do You Think You Are, and the fact that we should never take for granted things we think we know about our heritage, all rolled up into a thought provoking and enjoyable read.

I really wanted to love this book but in truth I couldnt wait for it to be over. I felt very under-whelmed by the ending and a lot of it seemed to drag. I was frustrated by the main character (she made that much of an impact I cant even remember her name) and I was really willing her to tell her best friend to get a grip - you definitely dont need negative people like that in your life. I loved grandad. I thought he was the best character in the book and I felt sad for Andy all the way through - I felt like he had to walk on egg shells all the time and I felt nervous for him. The poor lad hadnt done anything wrong and yet his wedding was in jeopardy.

All in all - I didnt like the book which I was gutted about as others seem to rave about it but I suppose thats why there are so many different genres and books out there, we arent going to like them all!