The Last Phone Booth in Manhattan

By: Beth Merlin, Danielle Modafferi

Narrated by: Vivia Font

Length: 9 hrs and 22 mins

Publisher's summary

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.

©2024 by Beth Merlin and Danielle Modafferi. (P)2023 Brilliance Publishing, Inc., all rights reserved.

Critic reviews

"Merlin and Modafferi deliver a supernatural spin to a typical do-over story…Broadway fans will enjoy the variety of show and song references. A modern Dickens homage with Broadway flair.”—Kirkus Reviews

“In their debut, Merlin and Modafferi offer a romantic fairy-tale romp filled with big Broadway dreams and lots of heart.”—Booklist

karma

this was great. I could visualize every event that took place. went from having a lifestyle to zero..this book in my opinion is relatable in many ways. this should be a series of short stories of people's karma.

New York IS Magical!

This was a surprisingly great read. Let me backtrack … I thought it sounded fun, ticked a lot of my boxes for things I find interesting, so I thought, “sure, it’ll be enjoyable.” What I didn’t expect was the emotional journey to self, threaded into a very magical New York kind of fairy tale. And make no mistake, this is a New York Fairytale, no place else could do. So, if you like second chances, gentle magic, kitschy diners, A Christmas Carol, Broadway musicals (and performers liberally mentioned and included) and the Big Apple- this is your new favorite book.

Laugh out loud funny!

Great book! So many feels and laughs and great characters. Highly recommend for a laugh out loud listen.

Relatable

Super cute, fun and easy read. The songs and movie references brought me back to my childhood.

Truly laughed out loud

Loved this story and how it was read it kept me throughly entertained. I highly recommend it.

An Absolute Joy!

I thourally enjoyed this story. It didn't rely on the typical RomCom tropes. The message was wonderful. The performance superb!

Fine

but not the romance I wanted or thought it was. still a decent book tho.

Great story line

Love the story just wish on the make characters there would be a male voice not my favorite parts. Overall really good

The style of the author

I enjoyed the romance, travel, cute references to famous movies and plays. it's obvious the author enjoyed every second spent writing this, as I did reading it, actually listening .
I this is the first Audiobook that made me cry. I cried out of happiness, but also out of sadness because the story is done. But when I say or hear "icing on the cake" I will be reminded of "The last phone booth in Manhattan "

Oh on ao personal note, I really enjoyed the London portion of the book
I could actually smell, and feel the magic of London.

self discovery

The premise of this book is what made me gravitate to it. However, the storyline didn't hold up to that for me as much as I would have liked. It started strong but later was lagging.

This was more of a self-discovery book than a romance. The Christmas Carol aspect was a neat take. I also felt for her and her journey at times.

If you need a good read about finding yourself after a failed relationship this just might be the read for you.

Thank you @netgalley and Montlake for allowing me to read and give my honest review.