This was my second Emma Lord book and it was so cute and wonderful!⁣
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The Getaway List follows Riley who's a bit lost after graduating from high school. She's spent the past few years trying her best to keep her mom satisfied and not getting into any trouble. At this point she doesn't even know what she wants to do anymore and yearns for her older self - who was self assured, fun and confident. She makes an impromptu decision to visit New York for the weekend and meet her bff Tom - who's been a bit distant since he moved away. And as they work on checking things off their bucket list of sorts - 'The Getaway List', a weekend turns into a week and longer. With Tom and their new group of friends, Riley seems to have rediscovered some things that she'd loved before and newer possibilities too. But, as they spend more time together she finds herself falling in love with Tom too and falling for her bff was definitely not on her bucket list😂⁣
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This was such a cute friends to lovers YA story! But that was actually just one part of the book and there's so much more - from a wonderful group of friends to a supportive mother-daughter relationship and a lot of NYC exploration. I loved watching Riley grow and figure things out while giving Tom the space to do the same. They truly brought out the best in each other and I loved how they were so comfortable with each other. I loved their friendship with Jesse, Luca and Mariella too. I think this one had the perfect mix of everything and left me in a good mood! Would definitely recommend it if you're looking for a cute YA story with a fun cast of characters!⁣
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Thanks to @wednesdaybooks and @netgalley for the ARC!❣️✨

This cute YA novel follows Riley, who is graduating from high school as the book starts and didn’t get into a single college she applied to. She decides to go visit her best friend from growing up, Tom, who moved to NYC before high school, and ends up deciding to stay for the summer as she creates a little circle of friends and a life in the city - and deals with whether her feelings for Tom are friendship or something more.

I’m old enough that my older kid is actually older than Riley, but I found this to be a sweet and fun read. It was not necessarily super-realistic - since when are there are so many high achieving kids either not going or taking the year off before going to college, nor is it so easy to afford living in NYC! But the city setting was fun, and I totally want to read the fictional time travel fantasy series that Riley and Tom are obsessed with.

For any parents of younger teens wondering if this one is appropriate for their kids, note that it is totally clean with just a tiny bit of kissing. But it might put extremely unrealistic ideas in your kid’s head about how easy it is to skip college and move to NYC. 😂

The Getaway List by Emma Lord

Published: January 23, 2024
Wednesday Booms
Genre: Teen & Young Adult Romantic Comedy
Pages: 314
KKECReads Rating: 4/5
I received a copy of this book for free, and I leave my review voluntarily.


I love a well-done coming-of-age story, and this was beautifully written. The development and self-discovery the characters go through are fantastic.

We have all had the feelings Riley has, and we have all wanted to do something spontaneous. Most of us don’t, though; we stick it out and do what we “are supposed to” because it’s what is expected.

I loved this. It was light and heavy but left me feeling so refreshed. I loved the dynamic between the characters and how their romance was like a flower blooming.

The way Emma writes her characters is brilliant. She puts so much love and detail into their being, making them radiate off the page.

This book will hit all your feelings but ultimately satisfy the reader—a delightful jump into 2024.

Thank you to Wednesday Books for the advanced reader copy. These opinions are my own.

Riley and Tom have been best friends since childhood. But he moved away to New York at the beginning of their high school years, and they haven't managed to see each other since. When she graduates, she spontaneously decides it's time to visit him in New York and start doing all the adventures they missed and added to their "getaway list."

This book made me want to be a young adult in New York and made me wish I had spent more time there when I was. I loved all the locations and the amazing conversations about books and writing. I also really appreciated the nod to the Milkshake Club from When You Get the Chance.

The friends in the city created the most amazing group and found family. I loved all of them and would greatly enjoy more books set with this same group. And I especially loved the inspiring ways in which Riley and Tom tried to spread joy for others.

There are some tough emotional scenes, especially around relationships with parents. Those added great depth for two coming-of-age stories. Riley was a more fully fleshed out character than Tom, but both were fantastic. I greatly enjoyed this novel.

“Does the blue of this graduation gown make my existential terror pop?”
This book was cute, and in true Emma Lord style leaves you craving your favorite comfort foods (specifically brownies and PopTarts this time around)!
The Getaway List follows Riley, who after graduation, realizes she has no idea what to do with her future especially since she also has no idea who she is. She decided to meet up with her best friend Tom who moved to New York two years ago to reconnect with not only him, but herself.
I loved the found family in this book. Throughout the book, we get to know the ragtag cast of characters: our main character Riley, her best friend Tom (who grew up/ glowed up since they last saw each other), Mariella (an aspiring photographer and coder), Jesse (an up-and-coming lead singer), and Luca (a writer with writers block). This book definitely focuses more on the characters rather than plot, but you won’t be disappointed with these five (ESPECIALLY Jesse and Luca who must be protected at all costs!). I also enjoyed Tom’s story and his struggle with loneliness in a city where it seems impossible to be alone.
The main focus of the book is not only Riley, but all of her friends trying to find who they are and what they’re meant to do. Emma Lord said this is her love letter to New York, but honestly, I feel like this one is for every 17/18 year old staring graduation in the face with no idea what to do with their future. Even at 25, I remember that feeling of being lost and searching.
I also loved the setting and reading about Riley and Tom’s adventures around New York.
Unfortunately I did get bored a few times (I’m not always a big fan of books that are more character heavy than plot heavy). Also, some of the conflicts and resolutions felt a bit clunky and confusing.
Overall, this was another great read from Emma Lord and I’m looking forward to her adult debut coming out this summer!

3.5 rounded up to 4

This book was super good!! I had a really great time reading it, and highly recommend it to anyone who wants a fun ya novel :)

I enjoyed that the romance wasn't the main part of the novel. To me, the book was mostly about family (found and biological) and self discovery, with a romance as a subplot. Each of the characters spent time throughout the novel figuring out what they wanted to do after high school, for most of them being to take a gap year and explore their interests.

I liked how the side characters had actual plot lines instead of just being there for the sake of having more than two characters. Each character was so unique, but the main friend group really worked well together.

I knew I would love this book since it’s from Emma Lord and it didn’t disappoint. I liked that the story starts right after graduation since that’s when most books seem to end. The characters felt realistic and I had an easy time believing in the friendship of Riley and Tom. I also like the group of friends they make and the flow of the story made it easy to read. Definitely a sweet read for anyone looking for some guidance and hope after school ends. The list was a fun read and I’d recommend others check it out.

Emma Lord's newest book, The Getaway List, was not my favorite of her books. Still well written and had the aspects I’ve come to love and expect in an Emma Lord book, but it didn’t grab me in particular as some of the others have. That being said, the writing is still great and the book still features many enjoyable bits. Part coming-of-age story, part friends-to-lovers tale, part found family adventure—this one is another YA hit for Emma Lord. Right after high school graduation, Riley heads to New York to visit her longtime best friend, Tom. He’s been living there for a few years and things just haven’t been the same for either of them since he moved. What begins as a visit turns into finding home, purpose, and love for the recent grads. The Getaway List is the title of the list of activities Riley and her best friend Tom want to do, started a few years before, prior to Tom leaving their small town for NYC. Now that Riley has graduated high school, without getting into any of the schools to which she applied, she is struggling to figure out what comes next. She decides to surprise Tom by showing up in NYC, even though he’s been a bit distant and they haven’t seen each other in the years since he and his mom left town. Once Riley arrives, she and Tom spend time exploring the city - balancing touristy things while also meeting up with a found family of friends. There’s nothing wrong with this—but I honestly did feel like it fell short in the romance department for me. I liked Tom and Riley well enough together, however it didn’t feel like a true romance.

Thank you, NetGalley and St. Martin's Press as well as the author for the opportunity.

I absolutely love Emma lord, but I unfortunately cannot publicly review due to the boycott. I’m sorry Emma!

3.5 stars - While I was expecting slightly more of a romance, this was still a really enjoyable YA novel. This might just potentially be the most YA novel I’ve ever read, not in terms of writing style, but in regards to the actual content of the story. The main character (and all her friends) are 18, freshly graduated from high school and trying to figure out their next moves. There was some very sweet romance, but it didn’t exactly feel like the main focus of the book. I think this book might appeal to a wide variety of people, but especially people around the same age, at the same point in their life.
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for providing me access to this eARC for my honest opinion!

I discovered Emma Lord during the early days of the pandemic with her debut, Tweet Cute, which ended up being one of my favorite reads of 2020, and since then I would read anything she writes.
Sadly, I will be withholding my review of this book until the end of the boycott.

I have enjoyed all of the books I have read by Emma Lord and The Getaway List is no exception. It isn't my favorite book by her, but I still enjoyed it. It felt a bit long to me for some reason.

If Emma Lord has 10,000 fans, I am one of them. If Emma Lord has one fan, it is me. If Emma Lord has no fans, I am dead.

This was so cute! It honestly might have won the title of my favorite Emma Lord book (an honor previously shared between You Have a Match and Begin Again.

This follows our main character, Riley, who moves to NYC the summer after she graduates high school to reunite with her long-distance best friend and complete a bucket list they had had running for years. When she gets there, to nobody's surprise, her best friend, Tom, has gotten very attractive, and soon they're both in denial of their feelings in order to protect their friendship. With a wondrously dynamic main couple, compelling side characters, and absurdly fun New York adventures, there is so much to love about The Getaway List.

I didn't love Riley the first few chapters, but she grew on me and now I absolutely love her and her character development throughout this. It's all about her learning to have the courage to control her own life and the confidence to make her own decisions—the character development is so well done, and it's a truly well-written coming-of-age story.

Tom is a great secondary protagonist and love interest, and he honestly is such a breath of fresh air from the snarky, bad-boy love interests of most books these days. His dynamic with Riley is absolutely perfect—the friends-to-lovers trope is there, but it's also complicated by the fact that they haven't seen each other in person in four years and are relearning how to be in-person best friends even as they have to confront their romantic feelings for each other. You truly can't help but ship them, but their friendship is even more important than the ship and I love that about this book.

Speaking of friendship, the secondary characters are all so wonderful and compelling. Riley and Tom amass this friend group of young adults all trying to figure out what their next steps are with all of the possibilities of New York at their feet, and I love how Riley's coming-of-age arc is complemented by all of the secondary characters' stories. Each of these characters has a different path from the others, but they all work together so well.

The entire friend group gets up to some wild adventures while completing Riley and Tom's bucket list, and the story truly is just a chaotic romp through New York in a way that underscores the character development happening without overpowering it. It's fun and hilarious and you really can't help but smile while reading it. There were, perhaps, a few too many pop culture references, but I can forgive it since most of them were vaguer references to TikTok and AO3. I think it was a better choice than creating fake stand-in names for social media and fanfiction platforms.

Overall, I highly recommend The Getaway List if you're in the market for a well-written coming-of-age YA story. The romance, friendship, and character development aspects of the book are all amazing, and I truly can't talk about this wild ride of a book enough. 5/5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an eARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Thank you to Wednesday Books for this ARC. This is my first Emma Lord and this book just felt stuffed to me. Too many references and interests and characters and who knows but it felt a little like Gilmore Girls goes to NYC and takes steroids. That said, I really loved Riley and Tom and was invested emotionally. 3.5/5

In Emma Lord’s The Getaway List, Riley moves to New York to spend the summer with her childhood best friend Tom after graduating high school, hoping to rediscover her adventurous self, find out who she is now, and plan the future she chooses for herself.

Lord’s vivid description using all the senses and detailed explorations of the characters’ emotions pulls you into each moment with her complex, relatable, likable, and fallible characters. She skillfully develops her characters through funny, emotional, sweet, intimate, and intense interactions. I love her creative and multilayered stories that never fail to capture your imagination and touch your heart, leaving you laughing and crying—sometimes both within moments of each other. Her dialogue is colorful and natural-sounding, suitable for her characters, setting, story, and themes.

Riley realizes that she’s wasted four years being the “good kid” her mom wants, and she no longer knows who she is anymore. Furthermore, she has no idea what she wants because she’s become a different person. To rediscover herself, she packs and moves to New York for the summer, where her childhood best friend Tom, who co-created The Getaway List―a list of adventures for them to share since the move separated them. Some distance from her mom and the chance to be with her best friend again will hopefully give her time for self-discovery and to plan and lay a foundation for her future.

Since his mom, a renowned scriptwriter, moved them to New York for her career and took Tom away, he’d become increasingly more distant, neither texting Riley nor responding to her texts. Riley feared her reception. However, when Riley arrives without notice at Tom’s place, it’s like nothing has changed—their connection and friendship are still just as strong as when they were young children. However, to Riley’s surprise, her feelings for Tom have intensified and begun transitioning from friendship to something unexpected that she doesn’t yet understand. Meanwhile, Riley and Tom make new friends with whom they explore the city and tackle The Getaway List—with new adventures added for the summer. Along the way, Riley discovers that the most rewarding quest may involve her heart and not leaving home.

Friends since they were small—and nerdy book lovers—Tom and Riley were pranksters who were always getting into trouble together. Riley used to be an adventurous risk-taker, and Tom was the most responsible of the two. To keep Riley out of trouble after Tom moved, her mother pushed her to get involved in all the extracurricular activities until she became overcommitted. This left Riley feeling lost and unlike herself, just reading fantasy books and fan fic in her free time—but no longer inspired to write. It wasn’t until graduation day that she realized how boring and lost she’d become, with no idea what she wanted for her life.

Lord has a fantastic way of balancing madcap, lighthearted moments with dramatic, intensely emotional ones. Further, these tonal swings come without warning but don’t affect the novel’s excellent pacing or Lord’s thoughtful and nuanced exploration of weighty, relevant themes. The scenes with Tom, Riley, and their friends completing the Getaway List are fun. But my favorite scenes are between Tom and Riley just hanging out together eating snacks, binging their favorite show, spending time with each other again, learning the differences over time, and figuring out the new emotions, sparks, and chemistry unexpectedly changing their friendship. Those moments are filled with intimacy, peace, comfort, and happiness. I love how Lord reestablishes their friendship while transitioning it into a more mature relationship with the potential to be more.

Sweet, funny, angsty, and romantic, The Getaway List is a fast-paced, captivating friends-to-lovers YA romance that wonderfully explores first love and the transition from best friends to lovers, but more importantly, discovering who you are, who you choose to be, and the people who are vital to your life and the life you want to have. Other themes explored include following your dreams, friendship, adventures, writing, self-esteem, self-confidence, parent/child relationships, controlling parents, and absentee parents.

An advanced review copy was provided by Wednesday Books via Netgalley for review.

4.5 Stars

I’ve genuinely loved every Emma Lord book I’ve read because she captures the magic of what it’s like to truly be on the verge of becoming a new adult; that weird time between senior year and OMG I JUST GOT DROP KICKED OUT OF THE NEST. The Getaway List might be her best version of this time in a young adult’s life and reading it as a 34 year old filled me with so much nostalgia. It almost felt as if I was reading a love letter I would write for my younger self.

Riley has just graduated high school and has a plethora of college rejections and is almost gleeful about not knowing where she wants to go with her future. Her mom (almost a Lorelai Gilmore like character) has helped keep Riley on a track towards success and Riley is ready to have one last adventure before committing to any future.

Enter: The Getaway List - the list she and her somewhat estranged bff, Tom, created as a way of staying connected after a move forced them apart. After realizing she is an “adult”, Riley heads off to find Tom in NYC and fulfill the missions on their lists. As they reconnect, new friendships are formed, relationships are tested, and unsuspecting feelings emerge. And it’s all done in such a magical way as our characters traipse through NYC.

I loved how the friendships were handled and the topic of forging one’s own path were the main focuses. The romance was there and cute, and I did find myself wanting a bit more, but I was still squealing as I watched it unfold.

This story gave me a bit of the vibes of that one Gilmore Girl episode where Rory skips school to head to NYC to see Jess and they have their magical day together and then Rory misses Lorelai’s graduation had. I definitely recommend!

Also, I listened via audio and the narrator does an incredible job and I absolutely enjoyed it and would 100% recommend that version if you enjoy listening to your books!

This is absolutely, without a doubt, my favourite Emma Lord book yet. I had such a blast reading and already find myself yearning to revisit this beautiful story!!

Another cute YA book from Lord, this time featuring friends old and new, summer in NYC, and checking items off an adventure list.

I loved the setting and wish I could travel to New York right now to check out fun locations and try some amazing food. The friend group that formed was adorable, as were the romances that popped up among them.

I did think the pacing was a bit slow and a couple of the small 'reveals' were easy to see coming. I wanted more items from the list, but it kind of fell to the background instead.

I've grown to look forward to Lord's books and am still excited to see what else she has coming!

I voluntarily read and reviewed this book. All opinions are my own. Thank you to Wednesday Books and NetGalley for the copy.

Am I a 28 year old with two children reading a YA Romance? uh yes I am! Did I love it? UH YES I DID!

This is my first Emma Lord novel and I am HOOKED. Her writing style is so good and I love how real and raw the characters are and how I can relate to them, even if I am 10 years older than them.

This book is a heartwarming and uplifting story that pulls at your heartstrings and gives you that real raw experience of self-discovery and friendship. I felt so connected to this group of friends and I really realized from this book on how one finds them true selves. While this book is a romance, I definitely felt a strong connection on the value of friendship and self-discovery.

This will fill that part of your heart that ever had you wondering what would you do if you packed everything up and left for New York City with no plan in mind, and it changed your life forever!

The Getaway List is about Riley and Tom, a pair of lifelong friends who were separated when Tom's mother moves to New York City. Now, as graduating seniors, they come together in NYC to finish up their Getaway List. Along the way, they realize they're more than friends, and Riley realizes she wants to live her life on her own terms.

All in all, I enjoyed The Getaway List. I really enjoyed the setting and the cast of characters--Riley and Tom are so endearing, and the found family team in NYC is enviable. However, I did feel that the pacing fell off a bit toward the end, so I ended up giving this one a three-star rating because I enjoyed it, but I wouldn't recommend it to a friend or read it again.