This one didn’t work for me. How was Avery so clueless? What was she even doing for six years while with Adam that she couldn’t audition or work? She was just one bad decision after another. Uncomfortable to read about her antics and whining. She didn’t even seem concerned with the revelation from her parents, just keep on trucking only thinking about herself.

I didn't love this one but I also didn't hate this one. However I'm not sure how I feel about this one.

I really enjoyed the plot of the story, but something about the execution was not quite “it” for me. Parts of it felt rushed, where others felt like 10 pages could have been distilled down to two. There were enough ups and downs where it wasn’t entirely predictable, but I felt like i knew where it was going throughout most of the story. I enjoyed the supernatural-ish element with the phone booth, and the self-awareness Avery developed, but again something was lacking.

The Last Phone Booth in Manhattan by Beth Merlin; Danielle Modafferi

I received an advance review copy for free thanks to NetGalley and Montlake and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Blurb

When a young woman hits rock bottom, she embarks on a positively Dickensian adventure in a witty and warmhearted novel about past regrets, old loves, new beginnings, and making up for lost time.

Avery Lawrence thought she had it all—a charming fiancé, a Broadway-themed star-studded engagement, and a picture-perfect life. But when her fraudster of a fiancé’s true identity is exposed and he’s hauled away in handcuffs, Avery’s world comes crashing down faster than the chandelier in Phantom of the Opera. Left stranded on Christmas Day outside the federal prison without her cell phone or wallet, Avery stumbles out of the cold and into the last phone booth in Manhattan. With nothing left to lose, Avery is directed by a mysterious voice on the line to the doorstep of the college boyfriend she thought she’d moved on from over six years ago.

When a second encounter with the phone booth leads Avery to a life-changing audition for Marley Is Dead, a new musical based on Dickens’s A Christmas Carol, Avery is blown away by the striking similarities between the show and her own life. Convinced the phone booth is somehow responsible for reuniting her with “the one that got away” and reigniting her acting career, maybe she will finally have the chance to rewrite her future. But as she grapples with the ghosts of her past and the uncertainty of her present, Avery must decide whether to follow her heart or pursue her dream.

My Opinion

So this has had some really mixed reviews, but for me I thought it was an inspiring story. This was a charming read, ideal to read when an escape is needed. A fast plot with some great characters.

Rating 4/5

Avery Lawrence was determined to take New York by storm…until she wasn’t. Falling in love had convinced her that she had moved on to new dreams, that being on Broadway was something she could live without. But…watching her fiance get dragged away by law enforcement, spending a night in jail, and losing her apartment, well, that will sometimes shake up your thoughts a bit. In her quest to figure out who she has become and where her path will lead, Avery winds up in the last phone booth in Manhattan. Desperate for a cab, she goes where the phone directs her - and ends up running smack dab into her past. As Avery continues to rely on the phone booth to lead her in the right direction, she slowly realizes that she’s going to have to make a big decision, a decision she has been avoiding for years.

This book was adorable with a capital A. So incredibly cute. I enjoyed every minute I spent reading Avery’s story and may have even cried a little bit at the end. Maybe. Avery is easy to like and even easier to root for. For a fun, quick read, this is an excellent choice.

Thanks to Beth Merlin, Danielle Modafferi, Montlake and Netgalley for this ARC in return for my honest review.

A kitschy book loosely based on Dickens “A Christmas Carol”. This story overall has a good theme of finding and being true to yourself. A lot of women struggle with this in real life.
I honestly didn’t connect well with the first part of the book. It was probably close to 2/3 of the way through when I really felt it all start to come together.
Overall a light read full of Broadway puns and humor.

I received an advance review copy for free from NetGalley and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

THE LAST PHONE BOOTH IN MANHATTAN by Beth Merlin and Danielle Modafferi is an engaging, effervescent romp of a story of what happens on the worst day of Avery Lawrence's life when her happily ever after life comes crashing down harder than her fiancés pyramid scheme. Strange events lead her to the last phone booth in Manhattan, where her phone calls lead her to second chances at her dream career and the lover who got away. Through preposterous and ever-changing circumstances, Avery finds a way to live her best life for herself, not what she was supposed to want or do or be. While the plot is fascinating and the moments intense, the overall prose of the story occasionally dragged or played a sour note. I could definitely see this story being made into a movie. Overall, an uplifting and fun story. I received a copy of this book and these opinions are my own, unbiased thoughts.

I received a free copy of, The Last Phone Booth in Manhattan, by Beth Merlin; Danielle Modafferi, from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Avery Lawrence boyfriend is arrested, her whole is shook up, then she meets her ex Gabe, is he the one? I did not care for this book. Avery did not heal herself before jumping into a new relationship, they rarely work out.

The Last Phone Booth in Manhattan is a fun and upbeat story of what I imagine living in New York and trying to follow your dreams would be. It definitely takes you on Avery's journey to find herself again. All she needed was a little push in the right direction and supportive people in her life. Life has many ups and down, and how you deal with those ups and downs is what makes us all human!
I also loved the references to Broadway! I am a Broadway fan and love all the nods to real life Broadway shows, actors and actresses, etc. My family and I have been to shows when visiting and waited for autographs at the stage door. Very relatable and reminiscent for all Broadway fans!
And I love all the supporting characters, Lyla, Sevyn, Oak and Kai bringing life to Gen Zs and laughing at their takes on life.
Also love the nod to the last phone booth in Manhattan and how it is actually located in the Museum of the City of New York!

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the ARC of this book.

This story is a spin off of Charles Dickens "The Christmas Carol." The beginning of the book definitely felt too good to be true to me. Well it was and the main character Avery's life quickly did a 180. I enjoyed how the phone booth gave her an address to a her past and her present. I was waiting and cheering for a hint at her future, but in reality I liked how the book handled that one.

This book received a wide range of reviews, but I love it.

Thoroughly enjoyed this book from the first page to the last. Follow the journey of a young woman, finding her true self. Through the help of a “magic phone booth” she realizes what she deems most important in her life.

I am going to preface this by saying SPOILER ALERT! I am not typically a fan of happily ever after books. I always feel like it’s a little too convenient that you could wrap up all of one’s woes and right all of one’s wrongs in 300 or so pages. I did love that this book was about a woman finding her own power, and coming to the realization that she was the one responsible for her happiness as well as her future. I felt like in places, though, the book tried too hard. That being said, I really dislike leaving less than positive reviews for any book that I have been gifted the opportunity to read. So a huge thank you to NetGalley for the ARC. I really did want to love this, but it was probably 2.5 or 3 stars for me.

Full disclosure: When I picked up “The Last Phone Booth in Manhattan,” I did not expect to love it as much as I did. But, I adored this one by Beth Merlin and Danielle Modafferi.

It’s a story of choices, the decisions we make and second chances. I’m not always a fan of the tired second chances trope as they can be too predictable, cheesy and cliché. I liked that this one had a twist, while still paralleling the idea of the classic, “A Christmas Carol” and the newer stage adaptation of “Marley’s Ghost.”

When Avery finds out that her fiance is nothing but a fraud, a night in jail and a magic telephone booth she’s directed to just might make her revisit the past to rewrite her future. She soon realizes that she’s spent the last several years giving up her life for her significant other, leaving her own dreams for Broadway behind, and that maybe she deserves to give herself another chance.

Through her second chance, she revisits people from her past, and has to now decide whether they belong in her present and future, while learning the lessons of letting herself shine and mending broken relationships.

It was so fun to get a glimpse of the theater/Broadway world, which I don’t feel is often highlighted in books and made for a nice change in pace.

There were no ghosts from Christmases past but she was able to get a glimpse of the life she could have chosen, and of course, the one she ultimately creates for herself. There are flashbacks, which I’m not always a fan of (because it can take you out of a moment) but these were done so with ease. They felt necessary in the grand scheme of the story.

This book reminds us that there are several paths that will work for our lives. One moment in time does not break a decision that impacts the rest of your life. It’s a story filled with grit, life advice and so so much heart. I wholeheartedly will recommend this to my friends and will be reading this one again.

Thank you netgalley and Montlake for this ARC of ‘ The Last Phone Booth in Manhattan’

Wow! Where to start with this one! From opening this book I was instantly drawn in. As soon as I opened this book I had a feeling the picture perfect was too good to be true! Thoroughly enjoyed this one! I even ordered the paperback today as it’s a must have for my collection. Added the rest of the authors’ books to my tbr!

A sweet story of starting over on your own two feet and finding your voice and independence. Great potential but, doesn't quite 'land the plane' as they say.

Avery's story begins like a NYC Christmas Hallmark Movie - beautiful proposal, love story, apartment, but everything is not what it seems. This is a light, quick, and hopeful read that I enjoyed! It was fun to see Avery's transition from a passive, fairy-tale-princess-birds-getting-her-dressed-everyday into a true leading lady in her own life. As a musical fan, I LOVED the different references and I thought Beth Merlin and Danielle Modafferi did an exceptional job highlighting the highs and lows of auditioning and chasing a dream. Incorporating the last phone booth in Manhattan and Charles Dickens was a chef's kiss to this story. Thanks to Netgalley and Montlake for this ARC in exchange for my honest review. I definitely recommend this book to my fellow readers who are looking for a breezy tale about finding yourself again.

This book starts off with a bang, hello FBI banging on your door Christmas Day and hauling you and your fiancée off in handcuffs! But I found it pretty slow-paced overall. This story is about one woman finding her voice, quite literally, and her independence. It's a premise with good potential but, doesn't quite reach it.

Such a fun and different read to start the year! I really enjoyed this modern take on “a Christmas Carol” and loved all the Broadway references as well. There are elements of romance in the book, however I wouldn’t fully call it a “romance” - it was actually a good break from all of the same plots I have been reading. This was more the journey of the lead character in finding herself and her true happiness, whether or not that includes finding the love of her life is part of the journey! I laughed out loud a few times and found myself enjoying this one till the end, curious to see how it would end up!

This was just all right. First, it's not a romance novel. You should not think it is. Second, the beginning is SO SCHMALTZY that it doesn't even feel like there's tension because it's not remotely real. Third, you need a fair amount of Broadway knowledge for a lot of this to make sense (I do, and that part was kind of fun!). Gabe seemed like kind of a dud and I wish we got to know more about him and Marisol. But the Broadway and Dickens parts were cute.

After a lavish Broadway-inspired proposal, Avery finds out that her fiance Adam is a fraudster. Left outside the jail without her phone or money, and needing a ride home, she is given a number to call and directed to a phone booth, the last one in Manhattan.
When Avery rings the number, a mysterious person sends her to an address which turns out to be the home of her ex, Gabe. Is this telling her to give their relationship another try?
After returning to waitressing at a café where staff belt out Broadway numbers between food service, Avery also realises she wants to pursue acting again.
Inspired by Dickens’ tale of ghosts past, present and future, this story follows Avery on her journey back from rock bottom, as she learns to trust herself to make the right decisions and follow her dreams. On the bah-humbug side, the writing was sometimes a bit clunky and the magical elements were never fully explained. But if you love theatrical references and second chance stories, this may raise your spirits.