Friendship and second chances are at the heart of this coming of age romance. YA romance is hit or miss for me, but this one was definitely a hit. I not only loved Tom and Riley, the couple at the heart of this one, I also loved their friends Jesse, Mariella and Luca.

So as Tom and Riley work their way back to friends and then lovers, I also loved how Riley and Tom both discovered a lot about themselves too.

The premise is cute. Former friends that drifted away had created a getaway list that was supposed to keep them close when one moved away. To reconnect they work on checking as many items off the list.

Norma Butikofer narrates this gem and she does a fabulous job bringing both the highs and lows, the uncertainties and discoveries to life.

I love a soft and calm romance but this was quite boring. It started out very cute and then began taking turns. At one point it felt like it should just have ended and maybe more was tacked on. By the end, I didn’t care much about anyone in the story. I finished it but I wish I hadn’t bothered.

I'm completely unsurprised that my first 5 star read of 2024 is an Emma Lord book. Her stories are always full of loveable characters that you wish were real life friends. This one is a love letter to New York City, growing up, and the family you find and claim for yourself along the way. I will be re-reading this beautiful story regularly.

3.5/5
The Getaway List is definitely a YA read. While I enjoy a YA romance, this one felt a bit younger than a typical young adult leaving the nest story. I enjoyed the development of the characters and watching them grow up throughout this novel. Riley wasn't an immediately likable lead, but her growth and chemistry with her best friend Tom elevated my initial reaction to her. The rest of the supporting cast of characters added in great backstory for the book and New York City was a great backdrop for the story. Overall I found the book to be very cute and endearing. I would read more from this author and am interested in the adult romance she has debuting later this year.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for granting me a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Okay this was way sweet. Found family, real family, closed door love, felt like hallmark movie set in New York City in the very best way! It was an easy read with a great pace that I honestly couldn't wait to open back up each time I stopped! This makes me want to grab a coffee and a brownie and stroll Central Park with my best pals. I'm ready to go home and make a bucket list and have so many adventures.

The narrator was good, and the pace felt good for the audiobook, too! So fun!

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the advanced copy to review

is a delightful coming-of-age novel that follows Riley's journey of self-discovery and adventure. On the day of her high school graduation, Riley makes a bold decision to break free from the confines of being the "Good Kid" and embarks on a journey to rediscover herself in the vibrant backdrop of New York City. The narrative is infused with a sense of nostalgia and friendship as Riley reunites with her childhood best friend Tom, the co-creator of The Getaway List, a compilation of their dream adventures.

The story beautifully captures the essence of stepping out of one's comfort zone, embracing spontaneity, and rekindling the spirit of adventure. The chemistry between Riley and Tom adds a heartwarming layer to the narrative, making the reader root for their friendship and potential romance. The vibrant setting of New York City serves as a vivid backdrop for the characters' escapades, adding a touch of magic to their summer adventures.

"Summer Escape" is a feel-good novel that balances the challenges of self-discovery with moments of humor, friendship, and the excitement of exploring new horizons. The author skillfully weaves a narrative that resonates with readers, encouraging them to reflect on their own journeys of growth and change. Overall, this book is a delightful read that captures the spirit of youthful exploration and the transformative power of stepping into the unknown.

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for this ARC publication for an honest review.

Emma Lord is a fan favorite for YA books. The Getaway List is a fun romp following a group of friends checking off activities from said list created by our bestie leads, Riley and Tom. Beside the storyline of best friends reconnecting and uncovering secret romantic feelings, there are also side stories with family struggles, self-discovery and finding your way in the world...the side characters are a nice addition to the foray!

I really enjoyed Riley and Tom and their cuteness overload despite harboring secrets that put a strain on the relationship. I, of course, was hoping for the predictable happily ever after but felt like the angst was too quickly removed. I wish the storyline with Tom and his mom was hashed out/healed on page.

Overall, a quick, satisfying read!

4 stars

Admittedly, I am not the target audience for a YA romance. I still love and read a lot of YA, but I have noticed at the ripe ol’ age of 30, it works less and less for me.

Unfortunately, I put this book down after 17%… I was kind of immediately turned off by Riley. She’s a perfect character for younger audiences to relate to, but as a grown adult, I just couldn’t.

I do think when it comes to YA, I like an MC who is a little more mature. Which sounds silly, I realize.

I did read the epilogue and it sounds like it would be cute for a lot of people!

I am excited for her upcoming adult romance book!!

Another sweet, funny, reference-full Emma Lord novel. While predictable, I still really enjoyed the characters and their journey over one weekend.

“If you think about it, getting rejected from all ten colleges that I applied to is quite the feat.” Here are reasons to read the YA Contemporary book:

High School Grad - Riley just graduated from high school
Log Distance - and really wants to see her best friend Tom
New York - The problem is that Tom lives in New York, which is a ways from her
The List - Besides, there is the little matter of a list made years ago which has all the things they want to do together

Emma Lord is one of my favorite YA contemporary authors and what I love most is how she brings people together to form a little mini community. Not only is this book a very beautiful description of what New York holds, but also the people who are there. The characters have a depth and you come to love them and root for them.

5/5 I am a sucker for a good YA & Emma Lord ALWAYS delivers. This book was no different. I absolutely loved the ode to friendship in this book. It was so special watching Riley, Tom & their friend group find themselves through each other. They pushed each other to do hard things, have hard conversations & go out of their comfort zone. They each ended up better for it. The romance between Riley & Tom was just the cherry on top. I mean come on, I wish all boys were like Tom when I was 18. He is the ultimate catch. I absolutely adored this book from beginning to end. Cannot recommend it enough.

- Childhood Friends to Lovers
- Coming of Age
- Parent/Sibling Relationships
- Friendship/Found Family
- Love letter to NYC mostly but also Taylor Swift

As far as young adult literature goes, Emma Lord is one of my favorite authors. She consistently publishes books that I want to read with characters I care about, a situation I’m all-in on, and a tone that hits just the right mix of lighthearted and emotional. Her newest book, The Getaway List, is out later this month and is every bit as good as her previous novels.

In The Getaway List, our main character, Riley, makes a realization during her high school graduation: She’s been so tightly controlled for the past few years that she has absolutely no idea what she personally wants out of life. Against her mother’s wishes, she takes a spontaneous solo trip to New York for the weekend to visit her best friend who she hasn’t seen in years. One thing leads to another and that weekend trip extends into an entire summer visit. This book is about found family and finding oneself, has a lot to say about healthy parent-teen communication, and has a charming love story to boot. It had me laugh out loud at some moments and then made me feel like I was going to sob the next. I totally recommend this rollercoaster of a book and will be “hand-selling” this, so to speak, to my students.

This ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This book will be published on January 23. While you wait for this publication date, I recommend checking out You Have A Match, from Emma Lord’s backlist.

The Getaway List by Emma Lord is a fun-loving young adult story. Riley has had it with her overprogrammed life, being the only one in her high school with all college rejections, and she is missing her best friend, Tom. Tom lives in New York City and seems so different from when Riley last saw him before high school. They have not been able to connect over the last few years.

This is such a great story from the perspective of what it is like to be a young adult right after high school. Tom and Riley are old friends from grade school who have changed, but still are able to connect years later. This story sparkled for me and I enjoyed my journey with Tom and Riley! The author made me feel like I was hanging out with their friends and exploring New York City!

The Getaway list allows you to relive that part of life right after high school when you are still freer from commitments and trying to figure out life! The characters are endearing, the setting of NYC fantastic, and you will leave the book with many new friends! I recommend The Getaway List by Emma Lord.

I was given a copy by the publisher and not required to write a positive review.

DNF’d at 68%. I can’t quite put my finger on why I didn’t love this one because it has literally everything I love in a book! I think possibly there was just too much going on with the cast of characters. With so much going on, I couldn’t really relate to Riley and find myself rooting for her.
-
Thanks to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for this eARC!

<i>I received a copy of this story from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.</i>

This charming coming of age story is full of challenges, growth, pain, self-discovery, and taking risks to chase your dreams.

The eclectic cast of characters also has an emotional intelligence that is both refreshing and startling. I don't remember being that in touch with my emotions at 18, never mind having the words to express myself!

I feel like this needs to be experienced with only the detail the summary provides. It's written in such a way that you're meant to take the ride with Riley. Sitting with changing emotions, grappling with the pain of trying to get back to a self you recognize, running around NYC with her friends -- you need to be in the moment with her.

The thing I love most about this story (and all of Emma's work, really) is that it is 100% perfect for a true YA audience. I can see high schoolers and college students DEVOURING this. But the beauty is that it's a story that will resonate with anyone.

I've already started recommending it to my friends!

Emma Lord is the Queen of YA! This book felt like a big hug and I loved it as an adult, and I would have loved it more as a teen.

Read for: Found family, single mom, NYC setting, finding your own way, finding your passions

Riley has been under her mom’s thumb for the past few years, missing her friend Tom, and thrown into so many activities she can hardly think.

On a whim, and after HS graduation and looking at her Getaway List she and Tom created before he moved to NYC, she takes the bus to surprise him.
She stays the entire summer, making friends along the way, learning about herself and what she wants out of life.
I was hooked immediately, the writing was so good in the first chapter and even though I had a different senior year of HS than Riley, I was transported back to that time and could relate.
Loved this coming of age love story (and love story about NYC!)

Riley and Tom have always been best friends. But Riley hasn’t actually seen Tom in person in years.

Riley graduates highschool and doesn’t know what’s next. She didn’t get accepted to any of the colleges she applied to and she’s not even sure she cares. But she’s spent the past few years trying to be perfect for her mom and she’s lost track of who she is.

So Riley goes to Tom in NYC. They decide to knock a few items off the “getaway list” they’ve been building for the years of their time apart.
But Riley falls in love with NYC and realizes a weekend won’t be long enough.

The absolute last thing Riley’s mother wants is for her to stay in NYC though. Riley’s mom is incredibly worried about her getting in trouble. After all, she herself got into trouble in NYC as a teenager.

I liked the cast of characters in this book. There’s Riley. There’s the sweet best friend Tom. A highschool friend Jesse who’s in a band playing/living in NYC. And a few new friends they pick up along the way.

I did feel like there was a sad element here that kind of weighed the book down. Tom’s story was kind of sad. He was lonely. He seemed like he might be depressed.

I enjoyed that this book is definitely a love letter to NYC. These characters are finding fun around every corner and they’re finding themselves too.

I got to read an early ebook edition from NetGalley. Thank you!

This book was everything my YA self needed... it starts with high school grad mixed with a fear of the unknown, lots of the FMC trying to find herself in the world, friends adventuring through New York City, and some romance and quirky characters to make it fun!

Synopsis:
The day of her high school graduation, Riley realizes two things: One, that she has spent the last four years trying so hard to be a Good Kid for her mom that she has no idea who she really is anymore, and two, she has no idea what she wants because of it. The solution? Pack her bags and move to New York for the summer, where her childhood best friend Tom and co-creator of The Getaway List ― a list of all the adventures they’ve wanted to do together since he moved away ― will hopefully help her get in touch with her old adventurous self, and pave the road to a new future. Riley isn’t sure what to expect from Tom, who has been distant since his famous mom’s scriptwriting career pulled him away. But when Riley arrives in the city, their reconnection is as effortless as it was when they were young―except with one, unexpected complication that will pull Riley’s feelings in a direction she didn’t know they could take. As she, Tom, and their newfound friends work their way through the delightfully chaotic items on The Getaway List, Riley learns that sometimes the biggest adventure is not one you take, but one you feel in your heart.

What I liked about this one:
-The characters were so fun and I just knew my younger self would've wanted to be apart of their group so badly.
-The setting! I have always wanted to visit NYC and explore it all. This book was full of things I yearn to see for myself some day.

What I didn't like:
-There was too much going on. All of the different romances put together with the family issues the MCs had, the list, and the fresh out of college feelings, it was just a lot at once.

Overall I think that this is one of the best YA books I have read in a while! I am not a big YA or friends-to-lovers fan, so I am very happy that I enjoyed it. I wish I could go back to when I was this age just to give this book to younger me.

Nothing like a good summer read in the winter time. 😎 The Getaway List is the latest YA novel by Emma Lord (author of the adorable Tweet Cute), as well as the latest book I’ve snuggled up to with hot cocoa this season. The fun vacation vibes of the story is a nice escape, as it follows protagonist Riley fresh out of her high school graduation and desperate for some change. Like, now.

Riley has had her entire high school life strictly scheduled by her mother, but after getting rejected by every college she applied to, she has no idea what lies ahead for her. So she takes advantage of her newfound adult freedom and takes off to New York to spend the summer with her childhood best friend Tom. There, their relationship picks up right where they left off, and they’re eager to finally have the time to cross off some things from their Getaway List — a list of all the things they wanted to do together.

The pacing in Tweet Cute was perfect for a light rom-com, in that the story was constantly busy and constantly moving, and the same goes here. A lot of things happen very, very quickly, and Riley ends up in New York much sooner than I expected, after having an argument with her mom. It’s disorienting at first, but I think it fits with the theme of Riley feeling overwhelmed and lost. She needs to find herself again, and we’re immediately thrown into that search with her. She reunites with Tom, they call in a bunch of friends to help with their Getaway List, and away we go. A summer filled with bike rides, delicious food, and unmitigated chaos.

Riley and Tom have great chemistry — the kind of friendship that just clicks, with hints of something more. I love that they know each other so well, even though they’ve barely talked the past few years, and that there’s not much awkwardness with their growing romantic feelings. Everything just kind of feels organic, like it’s all supposed to happen. But there is something off with Tom, and once that unravels, Riley learns that she wasn’t the only one feeling lost. I’m glad he had just as much character development as our spunky main character — it’s all the more fitting that they paralleled each other in that way.

The chemistry with the group of friends is just as great, and there are so many ships to go around. I love the constant merry-go-round of people saying “He/she is so into you” and “No, they’re not,” when they totally are. The side characters are, of course, vital for Riley and Tom’s growth, but they also feel like real people with their own lives going on — the best kind of side characters.

I read quite a lot of (good but) heavy material in 2023, so this was the best book to start the new year with. Emma Lord’s writing style is very fun and fluffy, and even when there’s some heavier stuff going on, there’s always a tinge of hope.

There’s something about Emma Lord’s stories that consistently make me nostalgic. Maybe the way they feel like you’re growing and changing with the characters? Anyway, this is such a sweet story about a girl taking a risk she wasn’t expecting to take, and learning who she is in the process. There’s a little romance, and the tension there is beautiful, but that’s not the main theme. It’s more about finding your place, and holding onto it like crazy when you find it. Definitely worth the read!