Dominoes by Phoebe McIntosh is a wonderful debut.
I enjoyed this thought-provoking read. With the amazing and well written characters this story was moving and had me hooked to Layla’s story.

Thank You NetGalley and Random House for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

It took me several chapters to really get into Dominoes. The writing style and lack of page breaks when the storyline moved along was a bit confusing at first. The story telling is non-linear which contributed to my inability to get with the flow in the beginning. However, the characterization was on point and I felt a pull towards the main character and her friend Sera. I didn't reread the synopsis after being gifted the advanced copy months beforehand so I wasn't really sure where the book was headed. Dominoes is heavy. Whew! I cannot imagine being in her shoes and wrestling with the information she had been given. I wished for her to open up more to those she was closest too instead of trying to carry the burden alone while she was figuring things out. I loved that she got to know her extended family and I loved the advice that Queenie gifted her with. The ending was heartwarming if not a bit bittersweet. While the subject matter is deep, I loved the family aspects of the book. Roy was one of my favorite characters. Dominoes takes place in a modern day covid timeline and I wasn't prepared for that. It still feels surreal when you read books that feature the lockdowns and the days immediately after.

This was a beautifully written book on a very difficult but timely topic. Layla is a biracial woman that lives in London. She has a very good friend, Sera, who is black and deals with more race issues than Layla, who is light skinned. Layla meets Andy, a white man with the same last name as her. They hit it off and then the pandemic hits. This seems to ramp up the intensity of their relationship and they end up moving in together about 6 months after meeting. Sera has always seemed to have issue with Andy being white and questions Layla on why she doesn't date black men. Layla doesn't see anything wrong with the situation until Sera sends her a documentary about slavery in England from Jamaica (where Layla's people are from) to watch and asks what if Andy's family owned someone from Layla's. This opens up a lot of questions and Layla seeks answers trying to figure out what it all means and how to deal with it. This is an enjoyable and eye-opening story about how or past history may affect us now and in the future. Highly recommend reading this one.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for advanced copy, and I give my review freely

Dominoes is a forever timely and beautiful debut. Phoebe McIntosh peels back the layers of doubt that Layla McKinnon only now brings to the surface as she is weeks away from her wedding to Andrew McKinnon. McIntosh pieces together both the past and present of Layla's life as a fair-skinned black woman enduring the prejudice she has faced with her head always held up high and how now it starts to become more than just hateful words thrown her way. How her ancestors may have the worst kind of ties to her fiancee and the vast differences in their current lives that could change the future they had planned for themselves.

The book is a thoughtful and eye-opening look, especially for me as a caucasian reader, into how the sins of the past should never be left behind but that we can always learn from them and only we can decide how they will affect our very being. McIntosh portrays Layla as someone who is caring and hopeful for her new life going from Ms. McKinnon to Mrs. McKinnon. The coincidence of the same last name with Andy, a man who is white, brings forth a slew of indecisiveness brought on by Layla's closest friend and supposed ally in Sera. As she starts to question everything and if going through with her marriage is the right thing and more importantly, the respectful thing to do, we are taken on a journey of self-discovery that lands us in Jamaica with Layla's mom and Granddad in tow.

I loved that part of the book the most as it brought Layla the comfort she didn't even know she needed together with as many answers to her lineage as she could find. Her Jamaican relatives were laid-back and wonderfully loving providing Layla with the perspective she craved and a new understanding of how slavery shaped her mother's family line.

The use of Granddad's favorite game of dominoes clearly gave meaning to all that Layla gleaned about herself, her family, Andy and even the painful separation from Sera. That perhaps our lives are at times merely tiles on a board that have to be placed just so in order to make sense out of everything we observe, say and/or do. There were moments of heartache and I fretted a bit that maybe things might not work out in Layla and Andy's favor. But then I was quite satisfied at how Layla took all she had learned and realized the power of love from a man worth being with may very well be the only answer she needed to know.

I certainly hope we hear more from this talented storyteller since I'm sure she has more wisdom to impart to us. Dominoes was a very pleasant surprise and I happily give it a big 4 stars!

A month before her wedding, Layla, a mixed race British woman is confronted with the fact that her white fiance's family might have enslaved her ancestors. As her wedding date approaches, her BFF prompts her to research her heritage further before saying "I do".

This was a pretty quick read about a very though provoking topic. There don't seem to be any easy answers, but it does speak to the fact that confronting the past can sometimes help you move forward. I don't think I was the particular audience for this book, but I thought it did a good job with making you think about how the past impacts present day.

Thank You NetGalley and Random House for this e-galley.
Publication Date: March 12, 2024
3.5 stars

I was intrigued by the premise of "Dominoes" in which a mixed heritage woman finds out that her ancestors could have been owned by her fiancee's ancestors.

It starts with Layla meeting Andy and the days leading up to their wedding. The first 1-2 chapters have a different style than the rest of the novel, almost to the point where it feels like Layla and Sera have changed personalities completely.

But the rest of the book was a thought-provoking experience. I liked Layla's growth throughout the book, her self-discovery and what she did with the information she received. The book also gives us a great insight into both the micro-aggressions and outright racist experiences faced over centuries by black people.

While Layla's family, especially her grandfather was amazing, Sera confused me. While I wasn't a big fan, I think I could almost understand her point of view. But I would have liked more insight about where she was coming from.

Andy, on the other hand, while being great on paper, seemed to warrant more consideration too. I would like to know how he felt, and what he thought about everything.

Overall, a fascinating read which will stay with me. Thanks to Netgalley and Random House for the advance e-copy!

What would happen if you discover the man you’re about to marry, who funnily enough shares your surname, is related to the people who enslaved your relatives? That’s the dilemma mixed-race Londoner of Jamaican descent Layla McKinnon faces after her best friend Sera confronts her over Layla’s white fiancé Andy’s lineage. Sera delivers an ultimatum: marry him and she will lose her.

Incredibly thought-provoking and deeply moving, Phoebe McIntosh’s ‘Dominoes’, based on her one-woman play, posits a thorny situation that has no easy answers. McIntosh skillfully depicts racism from over examples to micro aggressions and how all of us, including light-skinned Layla can be blithely unaware or even complicit in it. I was so invested in this book, not only to know what Layla decides about marrying Andy, but also how she works through the very uncomfortable feelings Sera has opened up. At first Layla frustrated me for not talking to her mum or Andy after Sera’s bombshell, but I later understood her reasons.

All of the characters were well written. I adored Layla’s grandfather, a Windrush immigrant and the advice and wisdom he shares with her. I also found Sera compelling, while many may see her as an antagonist, every one needs a friend like Sera who will tell it straight, even if the truth is uncomfortable. Sera wasn’t wrong, even if Andy is lovely she was spot on with the ‘Mr Diversity & Inclusion’. (Though I wish Sera confronted her properly instead of avoiding her, but the flashback scenes to the bar scenario made me understand why).

This book serves as a powerful reminder that in order for us to be anti-racist, we need to sit with the discomfort and allow for truth-telling. Otherwise how can people, who’ve been the receivers of this cruel and oppressive system, heal? This book should be on everyone’s 2024 reading list.

Thanks to Random House and NetGalley for the ARC.

Dominoes is about questioning the person you are about to marry a month before the wedding. Layla is a mixed race British woman living in London. We start when Layla goes to a house party with her best friend Sera and ends up meeting Andy. They get engaged but hey they already have the same last name which they think is a fun coincidence. Sera has concerns though and Layla is asked to choose between her best friend and fiancé.

I don’t think this book was for me, I bounced off this one. The writing style did not seem to find its footing and I was left struggling to get though it. However, I could see it being for the reader that enjoys literary fiction with romance.

Dominoes by Phoebe McIntosh is a thought provoking novel about Layla, a young mixed race woman who is getting married to Andy, a white man who has the same surname as she does. They found it to be a cute coincidence until her maid of honor started pushing her to research her past, to find out if her fiance's family had once been slave owners and owned her family ancestors as slaves. As she researches her heritage, will what she discovers be enough to stop her marriage plans? Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for an ARC of this novel in exchange for my honest review.

The book's summary implies that a choice must be made. With that, we follow Layla as she closes in on what she thought was her fairytale wedding but instead is looking in to her family's history and into herself. Unlike the summary, I don't think it has to be an either or choice, but whatever the answer is, it is one Layla has to decide for herself. It was a heartbreaking and heartwarming process to follow as Layla searches for her own answers. Perhaps the ending was a bit too neat and tidy for me, but I feel it was a realistic ending to what was a powerful thought provoking story.

This book took be a little bit to get into & feel the flow of the story, as sometimes happens in a book.
Once things started to connect, I really enjoyed it & loved Layla.

Layla is a light skinned biracial British woman of Jamaican descent. She is in the chaos & excitement of planning her wedding to the man of her dreams & she loves sharing all of this with her long time bestie-Sera, but things change with Sera & they finally confront each other on what's going on.
What Sera shares with Layla sends Layla on a mental, emotional & questioning journey & what she finds out is not what she may have expected.

It was a great story.

Dominoes is a story that will sit with me for a while. Though the story started slow, the topic is one that makes me wonder how often this might happen, coming from a country that enslaved people for almost a hundred years.

Layla is a young woman raised in London by her single mother of Jamaican descent. As her white father has never been a part of her life, she identifies more with her mother’s heritage, especially since she regularly spends time with her patois-speaking grandfather. Her best friend Sera is also black, so though her skin is lighter, Layla does not seem to give much consideration to the other half of her heritage.

Counting down to her upcoming nuptials, Layla is excited until Sera brings a documentary about financial payouts post slavery to her attention that wrecks her pre-wedding mood. It turns out that both Layla and her fiancé Andy, who is white, have the last name McKinnon. Layla has discovered as she has gotten to know his relatives that his once owned a plantation in Jamaica. Initially worried about being related, now Layla cannot stop wondering if her soon to be husband’s family once enslaved her own family. The unknown is affecting Layla far more than she cares to admit, and with the help of a historian and a trip back to Jamaica, Layla is determined to find answers.

Layla’s journey to understanding her own identity and what she is comfortable accepting is tough. Sera holds nothing back as her friend, and forces Layla to see a possible ugly truth and face it. Andy is both supportive and naïve and serves as a reminder of how important sensitivity is. Layla’s grandfather, with his thick accent is my favorite character, and is a living reminder of how to think for oneself and move forward, despite setbacks in one’s path. Dominoes takes an honest and heartbreaking approach to a tough topic and explains without being patronizing. The discussions from this book would be thought provoking for sure.

Thank you to NetGalley, Random House, and of course the author Phoebe McIntosh for the advanced copy of the book. Dominoes is out March 12th. All opinions are my own.

A thoughtful and absorbing look at a sensitive subject, handled beautifully by this author. Layla and her best friend Sera are extremely close, always there for each other. When Layla meets Andy, Sera sends her a documentary forcing her to face the interracial relationship with Andy, and causing deep trouble to Sera and Layla’s friendship. Reparations were made not to the freed slaves, but to the Scottish and British owners of Jamaican slaves. Could Layla marry a man who might be descended from slave owners of her own descendants? I highly recommend this timely and well written novel. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

Loved this book!!! Layla is a mixed race woman (Mom is Black, Jamaican, and Dad is White, although she’s never met him), living in London. She is invited by her best friend Seraphina (Sera) to a party, and Layla is reluctant to attend. At the party, she meets this handsome man named Andy, who coincidentally shares the same surname as Layla - McKinnon. Andy and Layla hit it off pretty well, ending up engaged. Weeks before the game wedding, Sera tells Layla that she needs to research her ancestry as it is likely that Andy’s family enslaved Layla’s in Jamaica.
The author does an amazing job at taking the reader through this journey, from learning about Layla’s ancestors to her decision to marry or not marry Andy based on her findings.
Huge thanks to NetGalley, Penguin Random House, and Phoebe McIntosh for an ARC of this novel.

Is Dominoes a romance or contemporary fiction? Which shelf does it belong on? This is my conundrum when reviewing this debut novel. On the one hand, it is a countdown-to-the-wedding story, complete with dress fittings, upset bridesmaids, and in-law-to-be drama. On the other hand, it's a more profound tale of slavery's legacy, Britain's treatment of Caribbean immigrants, and the buried family histories. When all of these themes are melded together, the reading becomes discordant. I read both genres, but romances and race-themed contemporary fiction take up different head space for me, and I pick one or the other based on very different moods. So, I don't know who to recommend this book to.

In addition to the discordant themes, three characters struggle for prominence throughout the book. Layla, for sure, is the main character. But is Andy or Sera her nemesis? Both are, but that leads to neither character being fully fleshed out. Sera is mostly just awful, and Andy is given so little development that it's hard to know who he is.

The grandfather is, by far, my favorite character, and I enjoyed the travel back to Jamaica and the genealogy discussions (almost like having an episode of Finding Your Roots hiding inside the novel). The dialogue is well-written but spread out between very long narrative descriptions; I found myself skimming after a while.

Ultimately, I was intrigued by the premise of descendants of slavers and the enslaved unraveling their legacies, but I would not combine this story with traditional romance novel tropes.

Thanks to NetGalley for providing me with an electronic ARC in return for a review.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance copy. This is a really good debut novel and I will definitely keep an eye out for anything else McIntosh writes in the future.

Phoebe Mcintosh's debut novel Dominoes finds Layla, a mixed-race young woman of Jamaican and British descent residing in London, just finishing up a school term as a teacher. She is eagerly anticipating her upcoming nuptials to Andy, a white man of Scottish descent. As the wedding approaches in less than a month she finds her long-term friend Sera pulling away from her, and she is confused and hurt. She rationalizes Sera's coldness at first, and she is pretty caught up in wedding planning. Her and Andy are deeply in love and they are amused that they share the last name (McKinnon)- no need to update once married!

Much of the early third or so of the novel sets the groundwork for Layla's relationships with Andy, her mother, and her grandfather and is told through Layla's voice. Just a couple of weeks out from the wedding, Layla receives a text with a video from Seda. It is about England's history with the slave trade in their colonies, and how once the slave trade was banned, the country spent an obscene amount of money compensating slave owners for their "loss." In fact, England was still paying off this debt up until the 2010s. Sera's off-handed comments now begin to make more sense to Layla. Sera says cannot support a marriage where Layla is marrying a man who comes from a family who may have owned Layla's relatives. How can she be so white?

Layla finds herself at a loss, and on a trip to Jamaica to better discover her roots, as well as learn about history that she did not learn much about in school. Is the plot line of "is my future husband from a family who enslaved my relatives?" a weird choice for a book? I would say so. I found the push and pull of almost a romance book at times (some of the writing is reminiscent of) and the topic of enslavement to be dissonant. The atonement for our family's sins and moving forward is an interesting topic to explore, and this really could have worked. I just don't know if the avenue of a "will they or won't they" resonants well with it. I did really enjoy some of the secondary characters, especially Layla's grandfather and mother. Seda and Andy were challenging as they came off as a bit one-note, but we also were seeing them through Layla's eyes. When reading about the backstory of this book, I found out it was a one-woman play beforehand, and I wonder if that avenue for this story was better.

Thank you to Random House via NetGalley for the advance reader copy in exchange for honest review.

I found it very difficult to keep the characters and storyline straight- there was just too much of everything. It was a struggle to complete and I do not recommend it.

Thank you Netgalley, and Random House Publishing Group - Random House for the copy of Dominoes by Phoebe McIntosh. This provocative, mesmerizing book is so beautifully written I couldn't put it down. The beginning established the relationships of the characters and the rest of the book was about Layla’s journey to come to grips with her life and family history. I loved how Layla realized her experiences were different from her best friend Sera’s were, and how she went in search of answers when she was confronted with news of Andy’s ancestors. This is an eye-opening book and I recommend it to everyone!

I enjoyed this book. I never really knew that racial slurs happened in mixed coloured relationships. The author made me feel like i was right there with the characters. An absolute gem of a book

Thanks Netgalley and publisher.all thoughts are my own