5*
The Last Phone Booth in Manhattan is part love story, part magical realism, part platonic friendship and, at its heart, the story of a woman who lost her way but, with the help of a couple of ghosts, a rusty old phone booth, and the immortal words of Charles Dickens, gets a second chance at pursuing her dreams and putting herself first.
Avery Lawrence seemingly has it all: Adam, her gorgeous, generous boyfriend of 6 years who provides her with everything her heart desires including a star-studded wedding proposal under the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree…until it all comes crashing down when he’s arrested for fraud. Finding herself outside the prison with no money, she accepts the help and advice of a security guard who directs her to a phone booth to call the number she’s been given. When the call goes through, she’s given an address that leads her to her former boyfriend Gabe’s front door. Thus begins her do-over, but is it really a restart if she falls right back where she was before becoming a ghost of her former self by sacrificing her own dreams of a life in the theater for a man to take care of her?
After what turns out to be a ghostly encounter that guides her from a past she’s eager to put behind her, she begins to audition again while rekindling her relationship with Gabe. However, it’ll take another spectral presence to give her a glimpse of the future she might have if she’s willing to let go of her fears and insecurities, focus on her passions, and not let anything or anyone get in her way. This includes having to decide which path she’ll take so that she has no regrets in the future. A quote from Dickens keeps popping up as a reminder: No space of regret can make amends for one life’s opportunity misused.
This isn’t a Christmas story, although it begins and ends on the holiday. However, the themes from Dickens’ A Christmas Carol are featured heavily throughout. It’s all about Avery listening to her heart and the voice inside her head so that she’s finally set on a redemptive path that brings her joy and causes as little emotional hurt as possible to herself and the people she loves. The authors have written a beautiful story that leaves you guessing until the very end about which path Avery will choose. Fans of Broadway musicals will thoroughly enjoy how infused the book is with performances at Mimi’s Shooting Star Diner where Avery and other Broadway hopefuls work between auditions and gigs. Highly recommended.
I received a complimentary ARC of this book from Montlake through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed are completely my own.
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