I chose to read and review this book as the subject matter sounded very interesting. I didn’t know the author and having looked her up, I see she has written and performed in a play with the same title. I do hope she repeats this performance as I would love to see it. The book was at times heartbreaking. I feel that the author really empathised with the two main characters who had been soul mates for years until Sera discovered something about Andy, the man Layla was about to marry. This leads to Layla falling out with her friend. She starts to research the slave trade and learns how she came to have the same surname as her future husband.. I was horrified to know how little I knew about the slave trade. The story moves to from London to Jamaica where Layla learns disturbing facts about her own family. Thought provoking and informative. The book should be in all school libraries. Thank you Netgalley for an advance copy of this book.

First off - how were those two women ever best friends - the one laid back and naive, the other vocal and active?

Will confronting what might be a dark intersection of family histories change how our main protagonist feels in the present day? Well, we’ll never know as that past becomes ill-defined which is a bit of a cop out for me.

Layla seems to delay speaking to Andy for an eternity - come on woman get on with it! And Sera appears petulant and not the direct person we know her to be. And the ending is just too ‘perfect.’

Not as gritty as I’d hoped it to be.

This wasn't really what I expected.
It was an interesting tale of love, history and identity. While it was well written, it felt slightly preachy in places.

When Layla and Andy met, they had the same surname, and now they intend to make it legal as well as they marry. But why is Layla's surname the same as Andy's?
Layla has given little or no thought to her background and the history of British slaves until her eyes are forced open by her friend Sera.
Will finding out about her past help her face her future with Andy?
Loved this book, thoughtful and thought provoking about a subject that I knew nothing about.
Thanks to Netgalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Layla, a British-Jamaican woman living in London, is about to marry Andy, a white man she deeply loves. However, a month before the wedding, her best friend Sera raises concerns about the possibility that Andy's ancestors might have been slave owners of Layla's family. Both Layla and Andy share the last name McKinnon, adding to the uncertainty.

With just 29 days left until the wedding, Sera urges Layla to research their shared history before tying the knot. Layla, for the first time, delves into her family's past, determined to uncover the truth about Andy's family's potential involvement in the slave trade. Despite her love for Andy, Layla cannot proceed with the wedding until she unravels the mysteries of her own heritage.

The story unfolds in London and revolves around Layla's emotional journey as she grapples with the possibility of marrying into a family that might have enslaved her own. Is Layla making a mistake by considering marriage to a man whose family history could be tied to her ancestors' enslavement? What would her ancestors think of her had they been here to witness this? Will she lose her best friend if she chooses her fiancé?

“I would be looked at shamefully and told I was not my ancestors’ wildest dreams but, in fact, their worst nightmare.”

The blurb caught my attention, but the start of the book didn't match my expectations. It seemed a bit cheesy, and Layla came off as cliché. However, I persisted, and things improved not long after when the story got more intense.

“How beautiful the world is sometimes, when it is silent and still and not doing anything to hurt us.”

There were moments that made me uncomfortable and confused at times. It was a thought provoking read. Certain characters annoyed me intermittently, and then, I found myself saying, "you know what, you do you." It highlights the lack of clear-cut answers in Layla's tough situation. Interestingly, it was Layla's connection with Sera that resonated with me more than with Andy.

“I was going to have to choose between my wedding and my best friend. Between losing my soulmate and losing my soulmate.”

That quote about choosing between the wedding and her best friend really tugs at the heartstrings. Friendships can be just as complex and challenging as romantic relationships, and it's cool that the book explores that dynamic. That aspect hit home for me; the writing skilfully portrayed the intricate dynamics of friendships evolving amidst life changes, not just in challenging scenarios like this. I found it so interesting that Layla’s jealousy and insecurities showed up so prevalently in her friendship with Sera but she was more sure and confident of her relationship with Andy.

“Friendships change and go through things because people do. Instead of having expectations of other people, all you can do is take responsibility for yourself.”

Thank you to NetGalley and RandomHouse for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Good story, well written but I am probably too old to be the target audience and I found it difficult to relate to the characters. Bit long-wind3d in parts but interesting and original.

Dominoes had me gripped right from the start. McIntosh has served up an absolute corcker of a book!

Are you close to your best friend? Would you listen if they told you not to marry who you think is the love of your life? Especialy when the question revolves around the colour of their skin?

Layla and Andy are due to be married when Layla's friend Sera throws a spanner in the works; why would Layla marry a man who is white?

McIntosh' narrative is authentic, the key themes woven into the story with integrity and grace and voices given to all. This will be a very important book in 2024 and beyon

Thank you very much to NetGalley for the eARC of this incredible book. Myy review is given voluntarily

I really loved this book. I hadn’t fully understood the implications of Layla and Andy sharing the same name before reading, but the more I read, the more invested I became. I sped through this in 24 hours because I was so engrossed in the story. I found Sera frustrating in her approach to Layla, but at the same time I could see where she was coming from and why she felt so strongly about the wedding. This is a book about the journey in trying to understand who you are/your family ties, and coming to terms with what that discovery may mean for you. This was a completely incredible debut, I can’t wait to read more by this author!

I wasn't sure what to expect with this book and the beginning seemed to be like a pleasant love story between Andy and Layla who both have the same surname. It soon transpires that both their families are linked with slavery, Andy's as slave owners and Layla's as slaves. As the wedding gets closer Layla's best friend Sera becomes increasingly distant refuses to take part in the wedding preparations in spite of being the chief bridesmaid. Layla feels the need to explore her roots further as her feelings for Andy become caught up in their history - a history he is unaware of. Really enjoyed this - wasn't too keen on Sera's character and wasn't sure if her behaviour was just a little too much over the top.
Thanks to NetGalley, the author and publisher for the preview copy in exchange for an honest review.

A fascinating idea, and something I have wondered about before due to my daughter's surname. This is a well written book about love and friendship, and the challenges both can pose, in particular when there is the legacy of slavery potentially at the heart of the relationships. Layla is mixed parentage but was brought up by her mother and grandfather who came to the UK from Jamaica in the 1960s. Her best friend from school and into adulthood is Sera, a black young woman who understandably recognizes racism and discrimination in her daily life as well as understanding the impact of Empire and slavery here in the UK. When Layla meets and then plans to marry Andy (the name is a bit old fashioned for a 30 something perhaps?) who shares her surname, this causes difficulties. It emerges that Andy's family are the decedents of slave owners in Jamaica. Sera calls it and the book is about what Layla does next.
The concept is really interesting and the truth is often brutal. I invested in the characters and I particularly loved Layla's mum and grandfather. The cluelessness of Andy's family and their friends speaks volumes and this book does well to expose casual racism in a non-threatening way. Well done Phoebe McIntosh. Recommended - this would make a good book club read as there is a LOT to talk about.

the storyline of this book is what really drew me in because i haven’t read anything yet with this kind of storyline yet. this book is about a couple, who a month before their wedding, the fmc finds out that her fiancé’s family (who is white) may have been slave owners in the past. our fmc in this book is of jamaican decent.

while the story initially gives you a different vibe to what you think you’re going to get, about 30-35% into the book is when the topics start to get deeper and intense. this book will have to thinking about it intensely and for a long time. its thoughtful and provoking, it covers an important issue that is still clearly prevalent in the west. i say that because while our minds instantly go to america and their blatant role in slavery, we can’t forget that the UK literally started the slave trade. it’s an important issue to keep in our minds.

pheobe mcintosh did a really good job at telling this story with every chapter, no matter how big or small had an important meaning and impact on the characters and what i think, as a reader we should be feeling when reading this book.

i highly recommend this book to everyone to read.

A love story. I enjoyed this book, as despite being a sweet romance, it is thought provoking. Maybe the story was questionable but it will get you thinking. Layla is marrying Andy, the couple share the same surname, something that amused them. However Layla's best friend has concerns, Andy is white, Leila has Jamaican roots. Her best friend Sera distances herself and is uncomfortable with the relationship, believing it possible that the couple could have a darker connection. The book then highlights some of the history of the slave trade. I wanted to finish the book and find out, does the wedding go ahead?

An interesting read, a bit long winded in places for my liking which removed a star from the rating, but a great story!

I was initially intrigued by this book due to the story line of the same surname as any reader would be, as the story developed and was moving further along I began to feel sorry for Layla as I really dislike her best friend Sera. I do not fee she appreciates the main character or supports her endeavours.

Initially I did struggle to read this book and I have occasionally found my self prioritising other reads as I felt parts of it were rather slow. Overall I did enjoy the book and would recommend it to a friend if I was asked.

This book was difficult for me to finish, I found myself not rooting for any of the characters, I am probably not the target audience and heavily felt that while reading. The Character Cera did not have any redeeming quality's either shown in flashbacks or present day. Also I found that when the author wrote dialogue with a Jamaican dialect I couldn't understand it at all. I felt like I was missing important information due to the characters voice and words being so misspelled due to their accent. The ending was wrapped up nicely with a bow but I felt like the whole plot of the book and the problem the main character Layla has is completely unneeded and unnecessary. She loves her soon to be husband and he loves her, why is she questioning their marriage the whole time? I thought the writing was good and the ending was nice but I wouldn't really recommend this book to anyone in my community. But I can see how other people would enjoy it and relate to it so that's why I'm giving it 3 stars, not my favourite but others could enjoy it

My thanks to Netgalley and publishers Chatto and Windus for an ARC of this book. I was looking for a bit of exceptionally light female fluff that I didn’t have to think about as a reward for organising Christmas. This book looked as if it might have a minor thought-provoking issue too. Wrong! The thought-provoking issue was the book – racism and slavery. At the start, I felt that it was aimed at a readership considerably younger than me. Plenty of partying, clubbing, loud noise, mobile phones and social media. But I was glad that I didn’t give up.
In their late twenties, the hero and heroine, Londoners meet at a party and discover that they have the same surnames. The affair grows and in six months they move in together and are soon engaged. He is white and from a fairly affluent family. She is mixed race and describes herself as having “pastel beige skin”, with blond Afro - hair. Her mother, born in and lived all her life in this country, is very dark Afro-Caribbean. Her father is white British, who disappeared before her mother realised she was pregnant. Her grandfather. Living in Birmingham, he was brought to this country at the age of twelve on his adult sister’s passport, as part of the Windrush generation, and speaks patois. So the heroine feels strongly Afro-Caribbean, although she doesn’t look it. This is an important part of the story. She also has a very close friend from school days and remarkably they even end up on the same staff of the same secondary school. The friend looks one hundred percent Afro-Caribbean and objects strongly to her friend marrying a “white guy”. She looks up slavery research online and sends her friend the link. This sets the heroine off on a trail of her own and she begins to realise why she and her boyfriend share the same surname. The issue is finally resolved but not without a lot of heart searching. Her mother tells her cruicially, that young people can’t fix the past. They have to move forward. This, I feel, is the whole message of the book
A picture of the author shows her to be similar in appearance to her heroine. This is her first book which she was persuaded to write by adapting her one-woman show on this subject. Although I got more than I bargained for, I’m really glad that I read it.

Dominoes is a tender and thought-provoking debut novel . The story revolves around Layla and Andy’s relationship, the complexities they face due to their different backgrounds, and the shocking discovery that unfolds in the days leading up to their wedding. The novel is hard hitting and explores numerous themes including intergenerational trauma, the British slave trade and discrimination.
It’ was an engaging read, one that will stay with me for a while.

“I would be looked at shamefully and told I was not my ancestors’ wildest dreams but, in fact, their worst nightmare.”

An incredibly thought-provoking plot. I was hooked reading about Layla, a British black woman, having to battle with the haunting facts of her white fiancée’s past while trying to decide what’s right for her future.

Could you marry into a family that once owned yours in the slave trade?

Two thirds of this book is heartbreaking to get through, which is very much the point. Layla finds herself having to choose between her best friend and the love of the life, between her head and her heart, and has to dig deep into her own unknown history, before the time leading up to her wedding runs out.

The plot and dialogue are both incredible, but there were tons of dull descriptions that became tedious to read in places. I often found myself skimming these lengthy details trying to get back to the plot. It’s such an interesting, important and heart-moving book, but the disappointing writing style makes it a difficult one to rate.

Favourite quote:

“Go live, free. Go love, free. This is di most important t’ing you can do to honour our ancestors.”

Exploring intergenerational trauma this was a very compelling story which tackles hard hitting topics and really got me thinking. It pitches morality against love, the past against the present and takes Layla, our narrator, on a journey of self discovery which kept me second guessing how things would turn out until the very end.

Dominoes is such an important novel. I didn't know a lot about this book before I started it and wow am I glad I picked it up. It touches on a lot of extremely important topics such as race ,slavery and I learned a lot from this fantastic story.