This was a book that had some deceivingly deep stories interwoven with a little bit of "summer after high school" romance thrown into it.

I have always enjoyed Emma Lord's work, so this was a no brainer for me. I knew that in the end I would have absolutely loved it, and I did.

3.5 stars.

A very sweet and fun read, the friend group is the best! They dynamics between everyone is really fun and the support of each other is perfect. It did slow down a little in the middle but overall a great coming of age, finding romance and finding yourself story.

Thank you to St. Martins Press and Netgalley for allowing me to read an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

Emma Lord is a master when it comes to young adult rom-coms. This book was full of sweetness, love, and friendship. I loved it so much.

The Getaway List - Emma Lord

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Plenty of the same charm, wit, and snark of Emma Lord’s other YA books, but I especially liked the plot of this one.

After graduating high school without getting into any of the colleges she applied to, Riley decided to head to NYC to reunite with her long lost best friend, Tom, and work on their “Getaway List” which is a sort of bucket list they made in their early teen years. They haven’t seen each other for a few years and a lot has changed, but their adventures over the summer help them learn about themselves and what they really want in this cute coming-of-age romance.

There are also some fun callbacks to things from Emma Lord’s other books (like The Milkshake Club- which sounds like a dream!) as well as a ton of love for the magic of New York.

This book is out this today! Be sure to add it to your TBR!

Thank you to @netgalley, @wednesdaybooks, and @dilemmalord for the early read!

“It turns out I am not a royal burdened with ancient power or a knight infiltrating a distant realm with a dark secret, but just Riley. Powerless and ordinary and unsure of myself.”
Riley Larson has a record of mischief and is uncertain what her next steps will be after graduation. She was rejected from all the colleges she applied to and has been lost since her best friend Tom moved to Manhattan after freshman year. Before the move, the duo started building The Getaway List—a checklist of made-up adventures—to accomplish once reunited and make up for lost time. Riley’s first decision after the rejections is to visit Tom in New York, much to her mom’s disapproval. The pair tackles the list, everything from taking an immersive writing workshop to seeing a favorite band play live, forging a new group of friends along the way. Riley feels alive for the first time, but her mom urges her to return home to avoid repeating her past mistakes, leaving Riley to question what her future should look like and who should be a part of it.

Emma Lord has always been one of my favorite authors; however, her latest novel felt repetitive. Riley, in particular, reminded me of Lord’s past heroines: young, passionate women are looking to prove themselves and do not let anyone stand in their way. While I love a strong female lead, all of Lord’s heroines approach their self-growth journey in the same manner. They always experience fear about what they will do in the future, renounce the wisdom of their singular, present guardian, do something “reckless” or out of their ordinary life in an attempt to find themselves, and, in the end, fall for their best friend only for everything to be tied up a little too neatly by the last page. I would like to see Lord step out of this blueprint and experiment with flawed characters who are not perfect goody two-shoes or explore a love interest who makes mistakes. Currently, everything in the Lord universe is just a little too flawless and unrealistic. Nonetheless, I did appreciate the more mature themes Lord explored in The Getaway List, particularly the conflicts that arise when a child leaves the nest and how parents can become blinded by the fear their kid could repeat their past mistakes. Riley’s newfound independence in New York helps her to discover herself, and I loved watching her transformation into a writer as a writer myself. If you are looking for a familiar narrative, The Getaway List offers readers a repetitive but safe story.

*slow clap for this wickedly adorable book*

Stories about friendship groups? Just slap me in the face with sparkles of happiness & cheer! Emma Lord really did that with "The Getaway List" and I am still living rent free in the pages. *happy sigh*

Thank you Wednesday Books and Talking to My Books for the advanced reader copy of Emma's latest young adult beauty.

This books message can hit just as hard for a 30 year old...yup, I said it. "The Getaway List" fell into my life at the right time. Riley experiences a big transition in her life following high school graduation in the hopes that it will lead her to figure out her deep inner self. I found comfort in this book experiencing a big change myself. I really appreciated the entire plot of this book. I loved that Riley decided to take the leap to move to New York City.

Change is hard at any age.

I found it incredibly bold of Riley to drop everything to find herself. It's really inspiring and comforting reading a plot where a big transition ends up in a positive & happy place.

Seriously, there is a lot to swoon about from these beautiful pages that Lord wrote. Between the Big Apple adventures to the decadent deserts littered throughout the prose I never wanted the book to end. My favorite part had to be the friend group. I want to be officially adopted into this pack of pals immediately. I could get used to checking off fun adventures from a getaway list and building fun apps or write short stories with my nerdy buds for the rest of my life. Truly, it sounded like the most fun any semi-adult person could have in their year following graduation.

Oh...don't even get me started with how incredible sweet beau Tom is. EEEE! Love his sweet lil soul! I just wanna pinch his face cheeks forever. Tehehe!!!

Here's to all of us channeling the unmitigated chaos that Riley & Tom had into our 2024!!!

- NYC Whimsy
- Bucket Lists
- Friends to Lovers
- Living Your Fullest List
- Value of Friendship
- Mom & Daughter
- Summer Vibes
- SWIFTIES!!!

I honestly didn’t know what to expect from this book but everything has been a nice surprise so far. This felt like a YA rather than a romance novel. I honestly don’t know the specific genre but it doesn’t matter because I enjoyed reading it. I loved Tom and Riley’s friendship. In fact, I envy it. Even though it was a little rocky when Tom moved to New York. Not only that, their friendships with Mariella, Luca, and Jesse were heartwarming as well. Do you have any idea how hard it is to make new friends after high school? Very. But Riley did it so seamlessly. This book was a nice, heartwarming read. I wished there was more of Tom and Riley’s relationship after they admitted they were in love with each other.

Thank you NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review

Not me over here drying my tears and feeling like I just finished a therapy session about things I couldn't comprehend or understand in my early 20s.

The Getaway List captures the awkward stage for many of us where we feel old enough to make our own decisions, want to be independent, and feel as though we should know what we want to do with the rest of our life....when really we don't even know who we are. It beautifully navigates changes in not only friendships, but also in a familial bonds that often adapt and change with time. I adored the way young love and new relationships developed and it made me nostalgic for my early 20s.

I really wish this book would have existed for me then, but the reflection it gave me and insight into things I didn't understand then really hit home.

After Riley’s high school graduation, she decides to stop being the obedient daughter her mother expects, and move to New York City for the summer to see her friend, Tom. They plan to finally finish their “Getaway List”—a list of all the things they wanted to do together since he moved away. Riley embarks on an adventure through the city with Tom and her other newfound friends, finding herself in the process.

Emma Lord consistently delivers wholesome young adult books that I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend to my middle school students, but are enjoyed just as much by older teens and adults. This feel-good story combines friendship and coming-of-age on the cusp of adulthood as the group tackles this “getaway list” bucket list of sorts on adventures throughout New York City. The novel paints a beautiful picture of NYC, embracing the setting almost as another character in the story. I’d definitely recommend this YA book to teens and adults alike.

Thank you to NetGalley, Wednesday Books and St. Martin’s Press for my gifted copy + e-ARC!

4.5 stars
What to expect:
*friends to lovers
*coming of age
*found family
*strained relationships
*single moms with teenagers

What I loved:
The character arcs for both Tom and Riley, seeing how they were both struggling on their own and they didn’t turn to each other to fix it. But they were both there to support one another through it.

I’m a sucker for a good ‘let’s complete this list’ trope and watching all the adventures ensue. I love how it brought this group of friends together.

It was inspiring to read her fervor of being young and figuring everything out. To hear her describe what writing felt to her, it was weirdly electrifying.

What was missing:
Honestly just a dual POV 😂 I loved Tom and I would have liked to get in his head more although I recognize it wasn’t that type of story. Maybe just a couple of chapters to understand his world and struggles more? I loved the whole group of characters but I think there was a little bit lacking, like I wanted more of all of them. But I’m also not sure how that would have happened without muddying Riley’s story too much.

Overall, this was such a fun read. It felt like a love note to New York and to finding your own place in life. Recommend for fans of other Emma Lord books and Morgan Matson.

All of Emma Lord's YA books are exceedingly charming and The Getaway List is no exception. It is filled to the brim with all of the things I have come to expect in Lord's books: an adorable found family of misfits, hijinks, deliciously described desserts and the type of issues that kids on the precipice of deciding their futures have to deal with. I so appreciated how Riley doesn't have it all figured out yet and so much of her journey in this book is finding out who she is and finding a place for herself. This book really felt like Lord's love letter to NYC and ultimately finding a place where you feel like you can spread your wings. I loved Riley's friendships in this book and most importantly her friends to potentially more with Tom which unfurled slowly and lovely.

The Getaway List was a very cute conceit and it was entertaining to follow this group of kids around the city as they completed the things on the list. It ultimately kept the book going and the pacing never dragged, but I'm not sure that it leant the book as much meat as I might have liked. It felt like the book was stringing along the concept a little too much and I would have liked a little more maybe conflict or something. As a character study though, I so appreciated Lord really going there with mom issues and not wanting to repeat the mistakes of the past while also letting kids make their own mistakes and figure out where they belong by themselves.

Lord is a most read for me and even her YA books that aren't my favorite are still so enjoyable and I always find something to love.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for giving me an opportunity to read an E-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I LOVE THE TAYLOR SWIFT REFERENCES!!! It was a good older YA story - light and cute, coming of age. The only criticism is that it was a bit cheesy.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

4.5/5 stars

The Getaway List is a Young Adult romance featuring 18 year old Riley spending the summer in New York City.

This is a sweet coming of age story. Riley is 18 and just graduating high school. She goes to NYC to spend the summer with her best friend Tom, who she hasn't seen in 3 years. They are both trying to decide what they want to do with their lives. With a group of friends they travel around the city checking off items from the "getaway list" (a list of adventures that they created when they were 15).

This book is about friendships, each of their relationships with their moms, a fun delivery app that they work for, and of course the list.

The setting was incredible. I love NYC as a setting. The friendships were amazing. I really liked Mariella, Tom, Luca and Jesse. The getaway list was super fun. And the delivery app, where people send gifts anonymously was definitely one of my favorite parts of this book. There is also romance and some surprising developments, which made this such an enjoyable read.

The last third was good. However I thought that the epilogue dragged a bit. But overall definitely a fun YA read!

Such a great coming of age book that showed the importance of friendships and navigating complicated relationships with parents. I love the New York setting, the adventures they had thanks to The getaway list and the book that started it all. Riley and Tom are more than best friends and facing those feelings while figuring out life is tough. I love Riley and Tom and how well they fit together and know each other. I also love Mariella, Luca and Jesse. The group dynamic is supportive and loving and everyone should have people like that in their lives.

This is such a sweet story ~ part coming of age, part romance, part love letter to New York... it was filled with fun, family relationships, and found family. I loved the journey through the relationships, the places in the NYC setting, and how everyone worked their way on their own paths. I look forward to the author's next book! Thanks to Netgalley and Wednesday Books for the advance digital copy.

Thanks so much to St Martin’s Press, Wednesday Books,and NetGalley for the ARC.

THE GETAWAY LIST is another charming book by Emma Lord. She’s a fave for me in the YA department and an auto buy author. I have been so fortunate to read her last few books early and I always adore her characters and the realness they bring to growing up and coming of age. This one specifically highlighted parental relationships at the pivotal time of graduating high school. The New York setting was like a love letter to the city and I liked seeing Riley figure things out. The overall story was much less a love story and more about her finding herself and navigating her relationship with her mom, with some romance sprinkled in. I liked it!

such an adorable YA rom com!! i absolutely love her other books as well and love this one just as much!! can’t wait to recommend it in my store!

This was a good coming of age novel and a love letter to New York City and found family. The adventure around NYC was really fun and I think is enjoyable to read no matter if you live there or not. The romance was very slow burn, typical in a lot of books of this genre and targeted age. It was cute and realistic!

This is probably our favorite of Lord’s YA novels (we’ve shared reviews of Tweet Cute and You Have a Match on previous lists), and it’s largely because of the friend group the novel centers on.
Riley Larson’s graduation cap is covered in her ten rejection letters (turns out colleges aren’t super interested in you when you’ve got a suspension on your permanent record), but on the inside, she’s attached “the Getaway List,” a list of adventures she never got to go on with her best friend Tom when he moved to Manhattan the summer before high school started.

She’s got no idea what she’s going to do with her life beyond work at her mom’s coffee shop over the summer. And really, she doesn’t even know who she is anymore: she used to be fun, mischievous, and brave, but when she got suspended, her mom enrolled her in so many extracurriculars and jobs to keep her out of trouble that now she barely has time to think.

When Tom texts Riley during her graduation ceremony, it gets her thinking about all she’s lost, and she decides to take the bus down to Manhattan to visit him. When she finds out that her mom has intentionally been keeping her and Tom apart, however, she decides she’s staying in Manhattan for the summer.

As Tom and Riley reconnect, they embark on a summer of adventures, trying to cross items off their Getaway List and building a group of friends—Luca, who, like Riley, longs to be a writer; Jed, Riley’s ex-boyfriend who moved to Manhattan with his band; and Mariella, Tom’s only friend in Manhattan.

The novel perfectly captures the sense of freedom following high school: you’re an adult, your entire future is ahead of you, and you’ve got a solid group of friends who are rooting you on. Add in some romance, some family conflict, and the universal experience of trying to figure out just who you are and who you want to be, and this is escapist fun with beautiful friendships at its heart. (Note: There is some mild profanity in the novel, making it more appropriate for high school audiences.)

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are our own.

(Also posted on Goodreads; will be posted on https://threeheads.works/ on February 2, 2024.)

Another January, another Emma Lord book to tear through! All of her stories take place in magical NYC, and in this novel, Riley turns a weekend visit to see her best friend Tom into a summer staycation. On the day of her high school graduation, Riley discovers she has lost herself in the pursuit of being the ideal daughter for her mom. With no clear direction in life, she decides to spend the summer in New York, reconnecting with her childhood friend Tom. Together, they embark on the adventures listed on their Getaway List, rediscovering Riley's adventurous spirit and navigating unexpected romantic complications. I enjoyed the adventurous spirit in this one, along with the many lovely supporting characters. and of course the friends-to-eventual-lovers storyline. Put this one on your winter tbr to get you in the spring/summer mood!