The Getaway List-a standalone

By: Emma Lord- new to me author

Publication date: 1/23/24, read 1/21/24

📃 Page count: 314 kindle

Summary: Riley Larson (18) has graduated high school resolved not to attend college, after being rejected by all her choices. She has lost herself being "the perfect daughter" her mother wanted after some high school hijinks and a suspension. Riley has missed her BFF Tom Whitz (18) who moved freshman year from their hometown Falls Creek, Virginia to New York. His mother Vanessa had become a famous Hollywood writer and director, even nominated for an Oscar. Riley defies her mother and goes to visit him in New York with the hope of finding herself.

🤷🏾‍♀️ What to Expect:
⭐ ️BFFs/ teen friendships
⭐️ friends to lovers
⭐️ clean romance
⭐️ single parents
⭐️ YA/Rom-Com
⭐celebrity

🤔 My Thoughts:
I really enjoyed Riley and Tom's friendship I've heard one of the most important things to keep depression and anxiety at bay is community. Riley joins the writing community with Luca's encouragement. Riley and Tom had the same interest in the tv show Tides of Time. Tom and Maribella created the "Dear Love" app together. And Jesse went to school with Riley and Tom.

The relationship between Riley and her mom Genny was complicated but loving. Genny didn't want Riley to end up like her-working at a coffee shop, struggling financially, and becoming pregnant at eighteen. Riley just wanted to spread her wings which most high schoolers do.. Mine was going away to college and moving out my parents house.

Tom was a lonely yet generous guy. He disappeared a lot and didn't do a lot of hanging out. His mother left him alone, her career her priority. Tom didn't feel important to her and was tired of pretending. He did nice little things for Riley and the gang, avoiding his own problems.

Tom and Riley were childhood BFFs after their mothers became friends. It was hard for them to take the jump to become more. They both vowed that whatever happened they would always have each other. I loved Riley's grand gesture to Tom, professing her love for him.

Rating: 5/5 💫💫💫💫💫

Spice level 1/5🔥 (kissing only)

Thanks to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for this ARC 💛! I voluntarily give an honest review and all opinions expressed are my own.

Quick Thoughts Reviews + a #sundayshelfie

🚊 The Getaway List by Emma Lord. Emma Lord writes dependably satisfying YA. In this book, uncertain high school graduate Riley determines a path forward & a new life in NYC, as she & her long-time bestie Tom cross items off their Getaway List. TGL is cute, with moments of sadness as the besties reveal their struggles to each other, & underneath a lovely burgeoning romance is a strong friendship that gave me lots of feels. 4.25 ⭐️. Out now. (Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the complimentary ARC. All opinions provided are my own.)

✏️ Letters to Half Moon Street by Sarah Wallace. This queer historical romance with some fantasy is so cute! It’s EPISTOLARY, (that’s the magic word, right?), featuring letters written from a sometimes clueless lead, Gavin, to an eventual love interest, his family, etc. Charming, funny, & sweet, this kissing-only book is a delightful & quick read. So happy I read it! 5 ⭐️, out now. (Read for the BookRiot Read Harder Challenge: a cozy fantasy book.)

🪶 A Feather So Black by Lyra Selene. A fae fantasy featuring a Changeling who’s been raised as the foster daughter of a human queen out for revenge against the Folk. This fantasy has steam, a love triangle-ish situation, & a heroine who’s felt the sting of not being fully accepted most of her life. Lots of angst in this one, & a romantic relationship that grew a bit annoying for me, but also an intriguing story & a nice setup for book 2. 3.5 ⭐️, out 03/12. (Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the complimentary ARC. All opinions provided are my own.)

📖 have you read any of these or are any on your TBR?

This is honestly the first year I've gotten into young adult romance, I've read two so far and I've loved them both!! This one in particular was so adorable. Not only was the love story adorable but this was a beautiful coming of age story.

This story follows the friends to lovers trope but also has a little bit of found family going on. This was the most authentic found family I've read and it reminded me a lot of my own college friend group. 💙

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read this early. Look at me somehow managing to stay on top of my 2024 ARCs for far!

I feel like this book was a ME problem and not the fault of the author or book itself that I didn't seem to be enjoying it as much as everyone else. I think I didn't look at the synopsis well enough and realize that our main characters were fresh out of high school, and that I was reading very much reading a YA cutesy love story.

However, I will say that in spite of how much I wasn't connecting with the characters, the writing was nice, it was well paced, and the cute and quirky moments weren't the kind of humor in books that I find cringey and not relatable. I did see that Emma Lord has another more like summer romance coming out, and I plan on picking that one up instead because it sounds like it will perhaps be more to my liking and I definitely want to give this author another shot.

This book is so endearing! I will say, I think I was a bit old for this read to really be as impactful as it could have been (Riley, our main character, is freshly 18 and graduated from high school) because I'm 23 and graduated from college. Beyond that though, I think this is a really good read for any teen! Or anyone looking for a clean, yet still impactful and adorable rom-com. It not only shows navigating changing emotions and perceptions of love but also growing independence, learning maturity, establishing healthy friendships, and learning to identify manipulative relationships. I do really appreciate the relationship that Riley and her mother have, I was worried it would fall to the wayside in the wake of Tom and Riley's budding romance but they had a really healthy, productive, and prominent resolution. Ultimately, I think this book is adorable and gives parents a lot of grace by portraying them as what they are; people, just like their children are. I plan to get a copy for my high school classroom library.

The Getaway list is a cute coming of age YA book, with a touch of angst, coupled with self discovery, and sprinkled with romance and whimsy. I enjoyed the concept of this book with a bucket list of adventures co created with Riley and her childhood friend Tom. Riley decides to spend the summer in New York City after her high school graduation and with the help of Tom, who moved here with his show business mother, will complete the items on the Getaway List. Through various adventures in the city, Riley embarks on a path of self discovery and develops new friendships and a developing romance with her once platonic best friend Tom along the way. Emma Lord writes a charming, coming of age book that feels like a warm hug and leaves you feeling comforted and happy. As well who can resist the cute nerd aspect along with Taylor Swift references in a New York setting.
4 out of 5 stars

Thanks to NetGalley and St Martin’s Press Wednesday Books for this eARC which will be published January 23 2024.

This delightful YA friends-to-lovers romance is filled with all the New York things, some good Taylor Swift references and those hard but necessary conversations with your parents.
Tom and Riley have been best friends since they were little. However, after four years of living miles away from Tom, Riley worries their friendship is falling apart. Further, having just graduated and unsure of what path she wants to take, she feels stuck. On a whim and faced with her mother's irritation, she takes a train to N.Y. and lands on Tom's doorstep. Riley finds that after three years apart, a lot has changed, including a newly found attraction to Tom. I enthusiastically recommend this charming & sweet read!
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Thank you, thank you Wednesday Books & NetGalley for the ARC. I absolutely cannot wait to buy a copy when it releases!

Emma does it again bringing us another delightful reading experience!
The Getaway List by Emma Lord was honestly amazing!
This book was phenomenal. Emma Lord has this incredible way of creating stories that entrap you into an imaginary world.
A charming and cute read about two loveable and enjoyable characters.
Tom and Riley were swoony and I adored every single thing about them.
I was captivated by the characters - they are endearing and real and the author did an excellent job making you feel like you know them.
Lord sure knows how to write a feel good, laugh-out-loud novel.
This is a charming book you can just fall into.

I can’t wait to see what The Break-Up Pact is all about! So exciting!

Thank You NetGalley and Wednesday Books for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

This was a cute, childhood friends to lovers YA romcom with beautiful prose and heartfelt messages. Tom and Riley were friends from the age of 8, from both of their single moms connecting and forming a friendship, until Tom and his mom moved to NYC before their freshman year. Tom did not keep in touch as much as Riley had hoped, but they still considered each other their best friends. Upon graduation, Riley decided on a whim to visit Tom in NYC, where she finds that Tom has had a very lonely past four years.

Tom and Riley determine to follow the Getway List they compiled years before, bringing in more friends along the way, and soon Riley decides to stay for the summer. <spoiler>This causes contention with her mom, and Riley comes to learn that Tom has been neglected by his mom for quite awhile. They keep each other in the friend zone but very soon Riley realizes that she loves Tom as more. When he reveals that he was planning to move away from NYC before Riley arrived, she feels that she needs to let him go so he can figure out how to find happiness on his own, and not be the only reason he stays. Of course, the friends rally and feelings are revealed, and they do find happiness in the end. </spoiler>

As a mom myself, I read these books differently than I would have as a newly-graduated 18 year old. Looking back, I would have loved a story that encouraged me to spread my wings and find happiness for myself, outside of any relationships, family or otherwise. Now, I hope that I can find some inspiration on how to guide my children into that.

This was well written and should have been a fast read, but some of the descriptions were so wordy I found myself having to go back and reread sentences to understand them fully. I enjoyed it overall and would recommend it to anyone who loves coming of age stories with found family and a little bit of romance.

I love the premise of this book, but I’m sure this is an unpopular opinion, it could have been way more shorter!

Two friends, one list. Riley and Tom haven’t seen each other since Freshman year in HS but this is about to change after Riley makes the decision to visit Tom for the weekend at his home in NYC. They decided to start crossing out as much as they can from “The Getaway List” that they created during all those years that couldn’t see each other in person. What starts as a weekend, ends as to be a summer where Riley, Tom and their friends discover who they really are.

This is a cute book of transitioning from a teenager into an adult. It is about discovering and finding that friends can be your family and your emotional support. It is about love and friendship.

Thank you Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC in exchange of my honest opinion.

LOVE!! Okay, truthfully I wasn’t sold on the book at first, but halfway through it clicked for me and I fell in love with the characters, their adventures, their friendships, their new loves. It’s an emotional book and so delightful and I shouldn’t have doubted Emma Lord cause her books are amazing.

Emma Lord truly knows how to tell a story that is heartfelt and shares a positive message. Ryle and her friends explore New York City as they learn on how to find what the true meaning of being at home. Home is not always a location, but a feeling or belief inside oneself. I will be purchasing this title for my students.

Thank you Netgalley for the advance copy

Emma Lord continues to write fiction about coming of age teenagers with the best banter. Riley leaves home in somewhat "unmitigated chaos" while unexpectedly on the outs with her mom, seeking to be known. Tom is dealing with his own struggles that he's mostly kept hidden, but he picks right up with Riley. Riley and Tom revisit their Getaway List that is full of adventures where they were supposed to reconnect after Tom moved away but some conflict came up to prevent their reunion. They form a new friend group from past friends and new friends and face their current struggles and futures together.

Riley and Tom are entirely relatable even for someone like myself who is so different from Riley's character when I was 18.

It's a relief to read about the promise of teenagers and coming into adulthood through a world full of possibilities rather than drudgery and bureaucracy.

Thanks NetGalley for the ARC copy.

I just love Emma Lord’s writing! This was another great book from her that discusses growing up, growing wings, and also growing roots, along with the importance of the people in your corner. She has important themes through her books that just make my heart warm. Riley and Tom were goals in this book and what a cast of secondary characters! I love a good found family story and this was top notch. If you like YA rom coms, you absolutely need to check this out!

When she graduates high school, Riley feels a bit lost. She’s spent the last few years trying to be the perfect daughter and stay out of trouble for her mom, but she has no idea who she really is or what she wants out of life. So she decides to take a spur of the moment trip to visit her best friend Tom, who she hasn’t seen in years. When she arrives, the two decide to complete the items on their Getaway List, a list of all the adventures they want to do together since Tom moved away. As they go through the adventures on their list, they make new friends, they begin to find themselves, and they reconnect with each other, maybe even developing feelings for each other along the way.

I have loved all of Emma Lord’s books, but this might just be my favorite. This is a love letter to NYC and a beautiful story about friendship and finding your own way. I loved Emma’s journey in particular. Seeing her come into her own and fall in love with NYC was so fun. She and Tom were so cute together and I loved how the friends to lovers trope played out. This book was just so sweet!

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press, NetGalley, and Macmillan Audio for the advance copies.

Overall, I thought this book was cute. The characters were likable, and I liked reading about the main character’s journey to finding her true self and what makes her happy. I loved that parts of it took place in NYC. Living close to the city, I was able to make a lot of connections to the setting. I did think the story was a little slow at times, but if you’re looking for a quick, easy read this is a great choice!

During a summer in New York City Riley finds herself, friends new and old, and romance. This was a cute ya romcom that shows the importance of finding your people and rediscovering who you are. Riley and Tom’s friend to lovers arc was well done, you could tell that they were meant for each other even after not seeing each other for years. I also loved the friend group that was formed over the course of the book, with each of them trying to find their own place in this city after high school. But I think my favorite relationship in this book was Riley’s relationship with herself. At the start of the book we see her graduate high school unsure of her future and not happy. By the end, her future might still be unsure but she’s found what makes her happy again, she found a place and people that make her happy, she found herself.

Overall, this was a good ya romcom full of love in all forms!

THE GETAWAY LIST was pretty middle-of-the-road for me. It was a cute coming of age-story, about Riley trying to figure out who she is by going to visit her friend Tom in New York after she graduates High School. While that is oversimplifying you get point. It took me a while to start enjoying the plot. I think I just was having a hard time believing that Riley was a troublemaker and that Tom was an instigator. As you get to know the characters you realize they are really good kids. So, that plot point r felt shaky to me. Once I decided I going to ignore that "fact" about them I was able to enjoy the book more.

"The Getaway List" by Emma Lord is a charming and heartwarming coming-of-age story that explores the complexities of self-discovery, friendship, and the unexpected twists that life brings. Set against the backdrop of New York City, Lord weaves a tale that resonates with authenticity and leaves a lasting imprint on the reader's heart.

Riley, the protagonist, faces a crossroads on the day of her high school graduation, realizing that she has lost touch with her true self while trying to be the ideal daughter. Fueled by a desire for adventure and a quest to rediscover her authentic self, she embarks on a summer journey to New York. The connection with her childhood best friend, Tom, and their shared project, The Getaway List, becomes the catalyst for Riley's transformative journey.

Lord's storytelling is infused with a delightful blend of romance and cheer, creating a narrative that captivates readers from the very beginning. The effortless reconnection between Riley and Tom, despite the challenges they face, is portrayed with a sense of nostalgia and authenticity. The unexpected complication adds layers to the storyline, keeping readers engaged and emotionally invested in the characters' journey.

The concept of The Getaway List, a compilation of adventurous activities, serves as a creative backdrop for the characters' experiences and personal growth. As Riley and Tom, along with their newfound friends, navigate the chaotic yet delightful items on the list, the novel unfolds as a celebration of friendship, love, and the joy of embracing life's unexpected moments.

Emma Lord's writing style is both engaging and uplifting, making "The Getaway List" a perfect escape for readers seeking a heartwarming and romantic experience. The novel seamlessly combines the exploration of self-identity with the magic of friendship and love. Lord's signature cheer shines through, leaving a positive and lasting impression on those who delve into Riley's journey.

In "The Getaway List," Emma Lord delivers an enchanting and uplifting read that settles into the reader's heart and lingers long after the final page. This inescapably romantic novel is a testament to Lord's ability to craft stories that resonate with emotion, making it a must-read for those who appreciate tales of self-discovery, friendship, and the transformative power of love.

In solidarity with the SMP Boycott I will be withholding my review for this title (which I was given prior to the boycott) until SMP acts on the following:

1. Address and denounce the Islamophobic and racist remarks from their employee.
2. Offer tangible steps for how they are going to mitigate the harm this employee caused.
3. Address how, moving forward, they will support and protect their Muslim, Arab, and Palestinian influencers, authors and readers, in addition to supporting their BIPOC influencers, authors, and readers.

This is not a reflection of the author personally, nor is it a call to boycott buying this particular book. And this star rating (4.5) is a reflection of how much I enjoyed the book.