Layla is a light skinned Londoner whose mother is Jamaican and whose father is black. Her best friend and grandfather are also black, but Layla’s boyfriends have almost exclusively been white. When she gets serious about Andy McKinnon, her best friend’s tolerance of the situation, especially in the year of the George Floyd’s death, disappears. Since Andy and Layla have the same last name, and since Andy’s ancestors are proud Scots, Sera, the best friend, posits that Andy’s ancestors actually owned Layla’s. That is enough for Sera to render Andy and Layla forbidden to marry. But Andy and Layla love each other.
Layla is not immune to the Sera’s concern. The book lets the reader follow both the research and logic that these characters must go through to determine what is right. Sera is consumed by anger, fueled by continued persecution and discrimination still prevalent against black people. Layla has the guilt of one who “passes” and yet, she doesn’t want to be angry. “’
“Action is more important than anger,” Layla discovers, but what action is right for her?
Thank you to Random House and NetGalley for this thought provoking and interesting read. Dominoes was released on March 12, 2024.

Dominoes by Phoebe McIntosh is the story of Layla and Andy who are on the cusp of their wedding when Layla learns that it may be that Andy's family enslaved members of her family in previous generations. The story is engaging as the reader watches Layla struggle with questions of identity, judgment, and who gets to decide how she should feel and what she should do. The answers are not easy and her relationship with her best friend Sera raises the stakes for whichever choice Layla makes.

I enjoyed this book and think it could provide some interesting discussions for book clubs. 4.5 stars rounding up to 5.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy of Dominoes in exchange for an honest review. Dominoes is available now.

DOMINOES
Phoebe McIntosh

Layla must decide. It could cost her the man of her dreams.

Layla loves Andy. There’s something special about him and she can’t wait to marry him.

There’s just one problem…his ancestors may have owned her ancestors. And it doesn’t mean as much to Layla as it would to her friends and family, who are deeply rooted in her life.

After being confronted with this point of contention Layla must decide if she cares, if it matters, and if she will investigate its validity. We follow along as she makes each decision and solidifies her future.

Invisibility is discussed, marriage in these current times is evaluated and the reality of Layla and Andy’s history is explored. Parts of the novel worked for me while other parts did not. I feel like it raised interesting but easily answerable questions.

Exploring the topic from one aspect was interesting, however, I wished we could’ve had some alternating perspectives to deepen the conversation. I wish we could’ve heard from Andy a little more. And a friend with a different opinion could’ve gone a long way.

I’m curious as to what Phoebe McIntosh writes next. If these topics sound interesting to you, you should check out DOMINOES. Out Now!

Thanks to Netgalley, Random House Publishing Group - Random House | Random House Trade Paperbacks, and Penguin Random House Audio for the advanced copies!

DOMINOES…⭐⭐⭐

Layla and Andy are two months away from their wedding when Layla makes a shocking discovery about Andy’s ancestors. This book had such an interesting premise and was very well written with fleshed out characters but it did drag in some parts for me.

This was a heavy read. I had limited knowledge of Scotland's ties to Jamaica and slavery, and I learned a lot in this book. From an emotional standpoint, there was a lot to unpack here. I can't imagine living through a situation like this or what decision I might make about marrying a man whose ancestors were my family's slaveowners. Layla, our MC, was a great character. She worked through so many emotions throughout the story. It was hard to watch her work through the situation and the way that her best friend treated her throughout the book was very frustrating. I think she found allies in unexpected places, but it wasn't always an easy process. I'm glad she found her roots, even if this was such a painful way to do so. It's a beautiful, heartbreaking book, and I highly recommend it.


A huge thank you to the author and the publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.

This was a moving, tough, thought-provoking read. I knew almost nothing of Scotland and their dark past with Jamaica and slavery. I was shocked and moved to read it and learn. I love that this story opened my eyes.

And I really liked the main character, Layla. She was an amazing friend, a good teacher, and I appreciated how much she loved and cared for her family. She's faced with an earth shattering revelation. The man she met and was swept off her feet, the man she's agreed to marry - he may have been from the same family that enslaved her ancestors. For Layla, wondering about her family's history and experiences isn't something she's faced but this possible tie to her fiancé makes her realize she needs to explore this side of her heritage.

It's such a surprising and touching story. Layla goes through every emotion and, with the audiobook, the narrator did an amazing job of pulling me right along with Layla. I felt her sadness and her frustration at having to wonder. I felt her bewilderment at her best friend. I loved her trip to meet her family and see Jamaica. I appreciated her tough decisions. It's an amazing story, one I'm really glad I read. I highly recommend it, especially the audiobook.

A huge thank you to the author and publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.

I was immediately intrigued by the premise of this story -- a man and a woman, one black and one white, meet at a party and fall in love. They have the same last name, which the main character thinks is quirky and cute. Soon, she discovers that it's because her family had been owned by her fiancee's family as slaves. While I really enjoyed the concept, and it was fascinating to see how what we think of as "distant history" can be so present and immediate. My issue with the book, over all, was the character development. The finance is hardly in it at all, which is fine considering the story is more about the MC personal growth, but he's like a stick figure. The rest of the characters are slightly better, but still felt a bit flat.

Best read of 2024! The story of Layla, Andy and Sera is one that will keep you reading long into the night. After meeting at a party and realizing they have the same name but are NOT related, Layla and Andy quickly fall for each other. Layla's friend Sera is less than thrilled with the prospect of Layla dating much less marrying a white man. When Sera encourages Layla to research her heritage, it sends her on a journey she never expected. Learning that Andy's ancestors may have owned hers, Layla is torn between the love of her life and what she sees as her duty to honor her family.
As a white woman, reading this book gave me entirely new perspective on how layered and nuanced Black history actually is. Honestly, I had to check my own biases on more than one occasion while reading. I was fully invested in the whole book and think I am better for reading it. Having said that, it is important to note that even though the subject matter is an important one, the book itself is very, very good. The pages are filled with so much love shown in so many ways. Most of the characters are very likable and relatable. It really is the whole package - an absolutely fantastic book that I will be recommending over and over again. 5+ stars!

Layla McKinnon has always thought it was just a funny quirk that she and her fiancé, Andy, have the same last name — she's biracial and grew up in North London, he's from an upper-middleclass family with deep Scottish roots. But when she sees a documentary just a few weeks before their wedding day, Layla discovers that Andy's ancestors may have enslaved her ancestors. The revelation sends Layla into a tailspin, causing her to re-evaluate everything from her lack of genealogical knowledge to her upcoming nuptials.

The premise of this book set it up to potentially veer into sappy cheese or dark and gritty (or, if the author really mishandled it, way too light and quirky). Instead, McIntosh walked that very fine line, and created a book that's an enjoyable, engrossing read that also addresses colorism, the generational impact of slavery, and privilege head on in the context of Layla's life. I was impressed, and highly recommend this one.

A very different theme for a story. A mixed race woman who is marrying a white man of Scottish descendents. The past is explored and it is determined that the groom's family might have enslaved the brides family. The feelings, the fallout, all very interesting and thought provoking. Kept my interest throughout the book.

Talented London playwright/actor Phoebe McIntosh has recently released the novel version of her earlier play Dominoes. At the center of the story, Layla “Lay” McKinnon, a mixed-race teacher with ancestral ties to Jamaica, struggles with news that may end her wedding plans.

At a party, Lay had met Andy McKinnon, a white man from a well-off family. Although their shared surnames were far from the only factor drawing them together, it became a subject of interest, especially to Lay’s long-time best friend Sera, now a fellow teacher and much more the social activist than Lay. While everything goes well with Andy in Lay’s mind and the two are soon engaged, Sera finds reason to take offense and sends Lay information that forces her to question her future with Andy and that drives a wedge between two life-long friends. As the chapter titles count down the months and then days to the impending wedding, Lay becomes increasingly uncertain.

This is a novel about love and friendship, about black and white and shades between, about slaves and slave owners, about reparations paid not to former slaves but to the former owners of emancipated slaves, about the Black Lives Matters Movement, and about finding oneself.

Along with Lay, Andy, and Sera, readers will meet several other interesting characters, including Lay’s mom, her domino-playing Jamaican immigrant grandfather, other relatives met for the first time on Lay’s desperate trip to Jamaica, Andy’s parents, prone to racist or unthinking remarks that lead Lay to question their acceptance of her, and more. Regardless of the individual reader’s race, it is a novel worth reading, one almost certain to make each person think.

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House for an advance reader copy

Shared on GoodReads and Barnes & Noble

I have really gone back and forth with my thoughts on this book. On one hand I loved the deep discussions Layla and Andy had throughout the book. It was very reminiscent of my own relationship as I am a white women who is married to a biracial man and we often discuss topics such as the ones in this book and plan to educate our children on these topics as well. I feel this book has some amazing knowledge to share with the world. That being said I didn't like the story itself. After finishing the book I was left with heaviness in my heart and usually i expect that when educating myself on black history and Americas past but the reason I felt this way wasn't even because of the "dark" topics discussed because those were handled very well and the characters talked very openly about them. My feeling of discomfort was because of the character Sera and the way she treated Layla. Treating your best friend horribly and wishing for the destruction of their happiness because you disagree with something they are doing is ridiculous. I found Sera to be self righteous and used race as a defense mechanisms to justify her bad behavior. Being mean towards those who deserved it, like someone who was discriminating or being racist, makes sense but not to your best friend for falling in love with a white man. Overall this book was a good read but I couldn't stand the awful treatment Layla faced from someone who has been by her side for so long and instead of helping her through a potentially devastating discovery she dumped it on her and then abandoned her.

Not giving anything away (it's in the description on the cover) by saying that a bride to be finds out her intended is from a family that formerly "owned" hers as slaves hundreds of years before. Starting out seeming as if it were going to be fluff, it became serious and addressed its subject intelligently with believable reactions on all parties. This was a new viewpoint on this scourge, and one that made sense.

Layla McKinnon is biracial, her father was white and her mother is black, originally from Jamaica. She reluctantly goes to a birthday party with best friend, Sera, where she meets Andy McKinnon. They have a connection and it's cute they have the same last name but then 29 days before their wedding she discovers that his Scottish ancestors could have owned some of her family on a sugar plantation in Jamaica. So now what is the question.

Honestly at about 30% or so I was ready to give up. There was one character I disliked so intensely that I didn't want to deal with her but the story picked up and she faded into the background. Didn't become more likeable though. It was frustrating to me that Layla didn't just talk to Andy and tell him what was on her mind but then I guess there wouldn't have been a story at all. The story was well written and I wished some of the characters were more developed.

Thank you to Netgalley and Random House Ballantine for providing me with a digital copy.

DOMINOES by Phoebe Mcintosh ~published March 12, 2024

We meet Layla McKinnon and Andy McKinnon who are engaged to be married. After initially finding it humorous and convenient that they share a last name, eventually Layla decides to look more closely at their potentially shared genealogy. When she realizes that Andy’s family may have enslaved her own, she’s not sure what to do...

I wasn’t the right reader for this, as I prefer more literary work to general fiction, and this was more the latter (it even verged into romance at times). I was drawn in by the synopsis, but after reading the novel, I’m not sure that the “will they or won’t they” romantic plot actually worked as a backdrop to explore such a weighty issue. I also really didn’t care for Layla’s best friend Sera, and that was hard for me to get past.

Sincere thanks to Random House for the advance copy!

Layla is eagerly looking forward to marrying Andy, the man of her dreams. As the wedding nears her dearest friend, Sera starts to withdraw. The girls have been best friends since they were eleven, but with Layla’s mixed blood, her skin is much lighter than Sera’s and she hasn’t had to endure the same racism that Sera has. Sera is questioning everything Layla is doing and accuses her of being “too white” and she isn’t too enamored with Layla’s rich white fiancé either. When she sends Layla a video, Layla is suddenly unsure of her own future, will she need to choose between love and friendship. When Andy and Layla met they were surprised about having the same last name, but when Layla delves into her family history, the name takes on a whole new meaning. Will the past change the outcome of her future or will Layla finally be free to be who she was always meant to be. This was a timely and thought provoking debut from McIntosh that will have you wondering what you would do if your heritage was about to derail your future. Is it possible to forgive the sins of the past? What choice would you make? While McIntosh covers some heavy material, her no nonsense approach has us looking inwardly at our own hearts as the pages turn. Thank you to Random House and NetGalley for an ARC of this book.

The subject matter in this book is horrifyingly possible. What feels like should be absolute fiction is a reality we cannot ignore. I was fascinated by the dilemma the main character faces. It’s an impossible situation & I really felt for the grappling she was going through. I found that the solutions and support her family in Jamaica gave her was very beautiful. My heart hurts that we didn’t see more of that support from her closest friend. I do feel like I would have loved to learn more about the development of her relationship with Andy. I believe that wasn’t the point of the story but it might have helped me feel more positively about the relationship. I didn’t feel the connection they had and didn’t really root for them for most of the book. Other than that a really heartbreaking and fascinating story or slavery and the impact it continues to have generations later.

Thank you to Netgalley & the publisher for an advance copy of this book. All thoughts & opinions are mine alone.

Rounded to 4.5 stars.

CONTENT WARNING: racist microaggressions, mention of enslavement, grief, discussion of police brutality and institutional racism, racism

This is one of those books that I was offered by a publisher, and I’m so glad it was offered to me. Dominoes is a book that I hadn’t heard about prior to that email, but it sounded fascinating and I can’t resist a deep dive into family history in a story, especially in a contemporary fiction book.

The start of the story sets up the frame for everything that is going to happen, allowing us to get to know Layla and the circles that she moves in. She’s a teacher, works with her best friend Sera, and gets into a relationship with a white man who seems like a dream and coincidentally has the same last name as her (no relation). The relationship unfolds at record speed, helped along by the pandemic restrictions, and before long, they are in the final countdown to their wedding.

But as the big day gets closer, Layla’s life suddenly becomes difficult. She finds herself feeling more and more distant from Sera at a time when she feels the need for her bestie more than ever, and can’t help but think that the fact that Andy is white is contributing to the strained interactions between Sera and herself, but wonders if they are just drifting apart.

When Sera pushes Layla to research her own background and family history, as well as the origins of her own last name, Layla takes the suggestion and makes a shocking discovery: Andy’s ancestors more than likely enslaved Layla’s ancestors in Jamaica, and the compensation for the loss of income after emancipation contributed to their fortune today, Layla experiences an internal crisis and isn’t sure who she can discuss this with.

I found Layla to be immensely intriguing and a highly likable and relatable character. She’s thoughtful, insightful, intelligent, and not impulsive. Initially, her conflict seems to be between fighting and accepting change in her relationship with Sera, as she struggles to accept that they appear to be drifting apart. But as the story goes on, the author introduces some deeper themes and discusses them through the lens of Layla’s experiences—racism and how being mixed-race affects Layla’s self-concept and place in society as a woman of color; the pressure to play up Eurocentric features in various situations, such as straightening her hair for events; how interracial relationships can impact friendships; police brutality and institutional racism; the lingering effects of enslavement and how it still impacts people nearly 200 years later; and how commonly racist microaggressions occur and why:

“I was always asked where I was from … No … no, where I’m really from. Because it was obvious there would be something—an interesting mix of this or that—that everyone was entitled to know about.”

While the story starts out lighthearted, it moves into a much heavier topic matter, but the author still manages to maintain a tone that incorporates humor and fun into the story. The main character is still a young woman, and life has to include fun. There are also some flashback moments that highlight major experiences in Layla’s life that had a huge impact on the woman she is today. I loved getting to know her better over the course of the story, and seeing how she absorbed new information and adapted to that and new situations, although reading large portions of dialogue in Jamaican patois made me feel like I was missing out on actually hearing one of the most lyrical and great-sounding accents, so the next time I read this one will probably be on audiobook. Overall, this is a fantastic book, and I found it to be really enjoyable. This is one that I can easily recommend.

This novel really makes you think, not only about racism today but our how past generations dealt with it.

The premise of the book is Layla McKinnon meets Andy McKinnon at a party, same last name but different races. Layla is of mixed race but she only knows her mother who is Black and her father moved to England from Jamaica at the age of twelve. Layla and Andy fall in love and a month before their wedding she learns that his family probably owned hers back in Jamaica.

Layla has to come to terms with this knowledge at the same time dealing with her best friend who thinks she should call off the marriage and date a nice Black man. A family trip to Jamaica is quickly planned where more distant relatives are introduced and more family stories are shared.

All the characters had good intentions even if they sometimes came out wrong. But, they all learned how to talk about their feelings and in the process certainly had me thinking about how racism effects everyone and it's never too late to do better!

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

When Layla agreed to go to the party her best friend, Sera, wanted to drag her to, she didn't expect it would change her life. Meeting Andy that night felt like pure kismet. The pair had instant chemistry, and oddly enough, they even had the same last name. McKinnon is a fairly common last name, after all. They know there's no chance of some long lost relation, especially because Andy is white and Layla is Black—mixed, technically, as her mom is Jamaican and the father she never met is white, leaving Layla with a complexion on the fairer side. Fast forward a number of months and it's a silly footnote about saving on paperwork costs for a name change after their wedding. At least that's what it was until Sera starts acting strangely, ultimately forcing Layla to dive far into her ancestral history and uncover roots she never knew were gnarled just under the surface.

Dominoes is a kind of bildungsroman in its own way. While Layla isn't going through an extended coming-of-age arc, she's plunked in the kind of hyperdrive that our 20s and 30s so often feel like when she's faced with too many complicated choices overlapping one another. Friendships are hard. Relationships are hard. Families are hard. Learning your (maybe not so) ancient history is hard. Learning you have things left to unlearn is hard. McIntosh navigates all of these well. There are plenty of conversation starting moments about colorism and racism, asserting yourself and losing yourself, and anger, love, and forgiveness.

There's a lot to love here. The pacing was a little off for me, with what seemed like an overly drawn out amount of time trying to figure out what was going on in Sera's mind before we got into the real juicy bits, and a rather mellow conclusion after Layla's journey really started to pick up some steam. I think it depends on what you're looking for here. If you're looking for a literary application of some important discussions—especially around race, ancestry, and relationships—this is a great read. If you're here for just the fiction, you may be found wanting some additional development.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the review copy.