Emma Lord is my favorite YA romance author!

Recently graduated Riley moved to New York City to spend the summer with her best friend, Tom. The two have been friends since they were little but have been separated all through high school due to Tom's mother's writing career. Their summer is filled with new and old friends, many adventures, and working their way through The Getaway List--a list of getaway adventures the two best friends have made and failed to accomplish throughout their 4-year separation.

Emma Lord always writes romances that have depth, and I love that! The romance takes a backseat to the soul-searching and family drama each character experiences. I adore the way Lord can take something that could be so shallow and gives it depth and emotion beyond romantic drama.

The pacing of this book is perfect. There were so many laugh-out-loud moments, and I couldn't help falling in love with the characters. I was so invested in their journeys and their growing friendship circle. This book is friends-to-lovers, with a heavy dash of found family--two of my absolute favorite things!

I highly recommend this book to any adults who wants to try some YA but don't want it to be quite so juvenile as some teen/YA books can be. All of Emma Lord's YA books feature high school seniors or college students. I would also recommend this book to anyone who wants a feelgood, funny book that explores finding one's own way in the world, well becoming closer to friends new and old. I have never been disappointed by an Emma Lord book, and I look forward to her future books.

I was a little hesitant coming into this book because of how much I’ve loved Emma Lord’s two previous books, and this one didn’t initially grab me as much as those did. And while THE GETAWAY LIST was definitely different, it did end up having the same charm and heartfelt story that made me fall in love with it all the same. Lord continually manages to capture this earnest hope and love, from romantic to platonic to familial that feels like a wonderful mix of the ideal and the realistic. It’s romantic and funny but it also digs deeper into the characters and their problems along the way. As with basically any Emma Lord book, I absolutely recommend it.

The book starts with a highschool graduation and an unclear path ahead of Riley, the protagonist. She ends up in NYC, where her best friend now lives, and ends up staying for the whole summer as they complete a list they made when he moved away, entitled the Getaway List. Along the way they make new friends, new discoveries, and realise a few feelings about the people they love and each other. It’s a fun romp with a love for a fictional series that sounds like something I would have loved as a kid. It’s a bit of an ode to creativity and writing, and to the people that pour into that.

While I went into this book unsure, and it took me just a little bit longer to get into, I ended up slowly falling in love with all the supporting cast as well as the main characters. It’s a little cheesy but the heart is there and it’s still so fun to watch the characters grow and fall in all kinds of love that there’s no way I can be mad about it. Also side note but the various things Lord created for plot points in this book (Tides of Time, Dear Love Dispatch, etc) were so fun. I’m so glad I read this and as always, I will be seated for the next books Emma Lord writes.

On high school graduation day, Riley decides it’s time for her to do something for herself. She’s been nonstop scheduled by her single mom for years to keep her from getting into trouble. (She has managed to cause mischief despite all the scheduling.) She didn’t get into any of the 10 colleges she applied to, so her life is looking pretty open-ended. Sure, she’ll probably go to the community college and work at the coffee shop, but that’s not exactly pressing.

What comes to the forefront at graduation is that she hasn’t seen her best friend in four years.

Riley and Tom were inseparable until he and his mom moved up to New York City. Now, not only has she not seen him for all of high school, but she hasn’t heard much from him for a few months. When he texts to say he’s watching her graduation ceremony remotely, she thinks once again about their list of things they want to do together someday. She’s even folded up a copy of The Getaway List in her graduation cap.

So she grabs a bag and takes the bus to New York, ostensibly for the weekend. And the two best friends connect again right away as if no time has passed. They decide to try to check off a few items from the list.

When a weekend visit turns into a stay for the whole summer, Riley starts having to really face several things: her complicated relationship with her mom, her desire to find out who she is and what she wants from her life, and how to navigate some newfound feelings for Tom.

The Getaway List is enjoyable and readers get to roam around the Big Apple virtually. Riley falls in love with the city and spends time with new friends who love it as well. Their adventures are fun and in many ways lighthearted. This book falls into the genre of “new adult,” and it explores the themes so common in these stories. Young people at this age are trying to find out who they are, what they want, and what they will do with their lives. They may have some concerns in their relationships with their parents that they’re trying to figure out. The characters here are dealing with all these common feelings.

Emma Lord is wonderful at capturing the feelings and experiences of this time of life. I enjoyed the book, though now that she’s published five books, I STILL have to say I loved her first, Tweet Cute, the most. Incidentally, I don’t like that her books have gotten stronger in content. Tweet Cute and When You Get the Chance are rated moderate on my content-ratings scale, and Begin Again and You Have a Match are high, but they have fewer than half the number of instances of strong profanity than this latest one has. This just felt like a whole lot.

Emma Lord is one of my favorite authors to read, so anytime a book of hers is coming out, I snatch it up if I can!

In this one, Riley is freshly graduated and hops on a bus to New York City to visit her friend Tom, who she hasn't seen in four years. Once she gets there, she realizes that Tom isn't exactly the person that she remembered. Reassuring, outgoing, friendly with everyone Tom has disappeared a bit, and Riley takes it upon herself to help him get out of his shell. This book is part coming of age and learning who you are, and a part friends to lovers romance.

What worked for me: Lord is a witty writer, with dialogue that keeps me turning pages and laughing out loud. The romance piece was cute, as hers usually is, and the places the characters visit in New York were fun to read about.

What didn't work for me: Because a large plot point for this book is Riley figuring out what she wants out of life and who she is, a lot of what happened was internal to the characters. I wish there had been more external plot driving the book.
I also thought there were parts of it that were too easy. For example, Tom's mom has money so Riley has a free place to stay. They befriend someone whose family happens to own a popular business. Some of these plot points were just too easy for the characters, and I didn't love that.

I still enjoyed this book and would recommend for fans of Emma Lord or fans of Emily Henry. This is a cute, coming of age romcom.

Emma Lord is always a slam dunk for me. Her main characters are oozing with personality and The Getaway List is no different. Riley and Tom are probably her sweetest couple yet and the friend group she surrounds them with her chef's kiss.

Emma Lord does not disappoint. Once again, I was completely caught up in the story and kept turning pages to find out where the characters would go next and what they would do. I enjoyed this very much! Thank you to the publishers for the early access.

Sweet YA rom-com with a fun cast of characters and plenty of NYC shenanigans. It felt a little too cutesy at times and there were still some unraveled ends that I wanted some resolution for when the story ended.

Read this over a few days and it was such a delight. Such a joy to read of someone’s journey to finding themselves. These characters are easily people you can befriend and root for!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for granting me access to this book in exchange for my review. I find Emma Lord's books entertaining and romantic. She is a great author and I will definitely be reading more books by her in the future. I enjoy both her books she writes for Teens and YA, and the books she writes for adults. Her writing in a way reminds me of Emily Henry (another one of my favorite modern romance authors). I can't wait for her next book!

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Riley is just graduating from highschool and while she had a fun career of playing jokes and getting up to other shenanigans, she has absolutely no idea what to do with the rest of her life. Especially with pieces of rejection letters taped to her graduation cap. Immediately after the ceremony Riley finds herself on a bus to New York, reeling from the secrets her mom kept. If nothing else, her best friend can set her right. But in New York, Tom isn’t the same person who left. He’s quiet, keeps to himself, and doesn’t have a lot of friends. But with the whirlwind that is Riley, the two are in for a summer of fun, learning, and growing up.

I devoured this book, a hair slower than normal, which considering it pulled me from a deep reading slump, is nothing to be concerned over. Emma’s YA books are so well crafted and the characters and relationships are so relatable. The supporting characters are also always just as interesting and well developed as the main characters and Mariella and Luca were certainly no different. I loved the app Mariella & Tom created and thought the story behind Riley’s new job was a different approach for drama. I really cannot wait to see what she releases to the YA world next, but I am already excited. And bonus excited for the adult book coming in August this year.

I enjoyed this story about young kids graduating high school and figuring out their lives, which can be a very scary time. I did not realize that this was a YA novel, so I'm probably not the target audience for it as I'm definitely not YA. It was still very cute though. Not only is it a love letter to growing up and getting older and becoming an independent adult, it is almost a love letter to New York as well, which seemed to be a character in and of itself. Even though I am in my 30s, I remember some of the angst that can happen when you try and figure out how to go out into the world for the first time as a true adult and not under your parents watch. That is what most of the story was to me, getting older and growing up, with just a smattering of a cute love story between Riley and Tom. Overall, cute story that would be very poignant for young adults. I give it a 3.5/5 stars.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for an advanced copy of this book. All opinions within this review are my own.

Adventurous YA romances are my favorite. Emma Lord seems to always nail that perfect border of cutesy teen life and real-life hard things. Riley and Tom were adorable, and I absolutely love a found family trope. It’s not perfect, but it was perfect for me at this moment.

4.5⭐️

I absolutely adored this book! I think Emma is becoming one of my auto-buy authors because I just love everything she writes! Loved the idea of the Getaway List and while I had some audible gasps throughout, I loved the book. Definitely keeps you on your toes!

Emma Lord’s The Getaway List follows recent high school graduate Riley as she discovers who she wants to be.
Realizing you don’t know who you are at your high school graduation isn’t ideal, but that’s the situation Riley finds herself in. She decides the best way to get back to herself is to reconnect with her oldest, dearest friend, Tom, closing the gap that’s grown between them since he moved away four years ago.
Riley might intend to only spend the weekend in New York, but one weekend with Tom isn’t enough to catch up on all their missed adventures through the years. This Getaway List isn’t going to experience itself, after all. As their friend group expands, Riley realizes her feelings for Tom might be growing, too.
New York City is often a character unto itself, but seeing it through Riley’s optimistic eyes, with her lovely crew of friends, makes the city a character unto itself in a fresh way. The city and each character’s relationship to it give the reader a full New York experience.
Riley and Tom’s friends are an eclectic group that make for a delightful ensemble cast. From coder fashionista Mariella to shy writer Luca to Jesse, Tom and Riley’s friend from home who came to the city with his band, each character brings humor, heart, and belonging to the group as a whole. And, side note, I would read a spin-off with any of these characters as the main character, one thousand percent.
Though the romance is a part of the plot, the heart of this story is Riley growing into who she is meant to be, and discovering all the versions of herself she could happily be. Themes of growing into oneself and finding one’s way are gentle, but offer hope and representation for those readers who don’t know what their future holds, whether that’s at age 18 or beyond.
This delightful book explores breaking free from parental controls, the importance of a support network, and the necessity of having hard conversations in order to grow. These aren’t themes often found in YA, and I even wondered if it could be a genre-bender and be on the New Adult shelf as well. But like all wonderful books, there are relatable moments, characters, and emotions for any age reader, 18 to 80 (and beyond, but 80 had a nice ring to it!).
Thank you to author Emma Lord, NetGalley, Wednesday Books, and St. Martin’s Press for a digital review copy such that I could share my honest opinion.

This Emma lord book was so cute!! Set in New York City, which is somewhere I want to visit one day. I loved getting to learn about different places in New York.
Riley graduates high school and takes off to New York to visit her childhood best friend Tom. You get to read about them meeting new friends, hanging out together, flirting, and many other crazy things.
This book was sweet. I did find it a tad too long.

As a reader who is dipping her toes into the "new adult" genre, I'm loving what I am discovering. "The Getaway List" is absolutely what I want when reading this genre and I am eager to deep dive into Emma Lord's backlist. I will say this may fit the YA genre as well, but the characters are 18+ high school graduates.

Some of my highlighted lines in the e-book were:

(In regard to a favorite book series) - "How sometimes it's felt less like a story and more like home." I feel this in my bones.

"If you're a mess than everyone on earth should want to be one, too."

"Which one of you suburban clowns knows how to drive?" - which absolutely made me lol. It was spoke to a group of born and raised New Yorkers.

Read this book to reminisce about what it's like to be young again and have the world at your fingertips. I loved the group of kids like they were my own. I hope my son one day has a core group of friends to help encourage and support him like Riley had to support her.

First of all I would like to thank the publisher for providing me an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This is the story of Riley, high school graduate, who after being apart from her best friend, Tom, for years decides to visit him in New York City against her mothers wishes. The plan is for them to complete as many items on The Getaway List they can while she was there. This list was all the adventures they wanted to do together since Tom moved away, and it will be a way for them to reconnect as friends and maybe help Riley figure out what's next. As Riley and Tom mark items off the list with other friends in tow they learn more about each other and themselves even making realizations about their relationship that could potentially change everything.

What I Loved:
Crew, the group that Riley and Tom pick up along the way of their adventures are so fun and really push Riley to figure out what she wants
Book series, Riley and Tom are obsessed with a book series which as a person who grew up with the releases of Harry Potter, Hunger Games, etc. I really understood the obsession and how they encourage a bond between like minded people
"Dear Love" app, this is an app where you can send someone anything and they don't know who it came from. It give me all the secret admirer vibes but less creepy since its app based and the admirer isn't doing the delivery
NYC, as Riley works for the app she has to go all over the city and I love learning about different parts of the city in books cause it helps me expand my wandering every time I visit

Overall this was a very sweet young adult romance about growing up and how making choices on your own can be scary but extremely fulfilling all at the same time. If you are looking for a friends to lovers romance set in an amazing city with a great group of characters and adventures please go pick up this book!

Emma Lord's The Getaway List is a cute coming of age work that delves into how we find ourselves in the world as our own people coupled with negating how to maintain parental, romantic, and friend relationships.

I loved the side characters in this book as Riley, the MC, finds her new place in the world with new and old people in her life.

If you want a cute, quick read that shows the potential of what could be then this is the book for you.

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for the dARC of this work in exchange for my honest review.

This was a very sweet coming of age book. The highlights for me were definitely the friendships and the way it read as a sort of love letter to the city of New York. If anything it was just missing a spark or something to distinguish it from it's counterparts in the genre, but an easy good time!

A fun coming of age story with a fabulous group of characters. I loved each character in this book for different reasons, each one is unique and strong willed in their own way. Even New York City becomes a character in this book as the friends explore the city.

The storyline is intriguing with a little bit of teen angst included. There is romance, but it is more a story about friendship and self-discovery with a bit of romance thrown in to it. It is definitely a great character driven storyline that was well-conceived and developed in a very believable way. The characters just graduated high school and yet they are very mature in how they handle themselves in the big city.

Emma Lord's books are always a must read for me because they are uniquely entertaining and keep me interested from beginning to end and this book did not disappoint. I hope you enjoy Riley, Tom and their friends adventure in New York City as much as I did!

I am extremely grateful to Wednesday Books and Netgalley for the opportunity to read a digital copy of this heartwarming book in exchange for an honest review.