Thank you to St Martins Press and NetGalley for the ARC of this book! I will happily edit my review for The Getaway List on Netgalley, and other platforms, when the racist remarks by one of their employees is addressed.

Emma Lord writes some of the most endearing YA novels. The characters in this book felt like they were truly my friends by the end of it. This friend group was so special and it made the story for me!

Riley and Tom have been best friends for a long time, but things changed when Tom moved from Virginia to NYC with his mom. It's been years since they've seen each other, but they've done a decent job of staying in touch. The day Riley graduates she decides enough is enough and makes her way to NYC to see Tom.

Riley thought she was going to see Tom and would be home after the weekend, but she ended up finding herself in the process. I loved the character growth of both Riley and Tom. I wanted to give Tom the biggest hug ever. The two of them were the most adorable together.

The Getaway List itself was such a fun addition to the story. I liked that it wasn't just Tom and Riley participating, it was Jesse, Luca, and Mariella as well. This book was charming, sweet, had a fun adventure and was one of the best YA friends to lovers I've read in a while!

On the day of her high school graduation, Riley realises two things: one, she has no idea what she is going to do now and two, she misses her best friend Tom more than she can bear. Rejected from every college she applied to and her days being dictated by her mother for the past four years, Riley has no clue who she even is anymore beyond the good kid she needed to be for her mom and decides that enough is enough and that she needs to take her life back into her own hands. Impulsively, she moves to New York City for the summer to reunite with her childhood best friend to complete The Getaway List, a list full of all the adventures they’ve always wanted to do together ever since he moved away. Maybe by reconnecting with her best friend, Riley can figure out who she is and more importantly, who she wants to be. As their dynamic comes back to them effortlessly and their days are spent together, Riley learns that there’s one item she never expected to land on the Getaway List but can tick off without even trying: falling in love with her best friend.

From now on, this book will be the evidence I cite whenever I need to convince someone that friends-to-lovers (if done well) is the superior trope. Excuse me, who needs enemies to lovers when you can have best friends who haven’t seen each other in ages finding their way back to each other? No one, that’s who. I can always trust Emma Lord with my favourite tropes because she delivers every single time. Tom and Riley’s chemistry was impeccable from the very first moment they graced the pages. Tom’s cinnamon roll vibes and Riley’s vivacious attitude meshed so well together and as they fell right back into rhythm with each other, there’s no way you can read this without grinning like a Cheshire cat.

In every interaction, you could tell just how much they mean to each other and how formative their friendship – as well as the time in between reuniting—really is. Slow burn is one of my least favourite tropes but hot damn, did it work in this novel. I was giggling, groaning, sobbing watching Tom and Riley figure out how much they are into each other and that they are a perfect match. Also, their relationship is literally the song Timeless by Taylor Swift, I will take no criticism on this point, thank you. No one deserves a happily ever after more than they do and they certainly have to work for it as they tick off items on their Getaway List, which by the way, is such a cool concept and gave this love story the perfect frame.

The found family in The Getaway List may just be one of my favourites. Their shenanigans while trying to help Riley and Tom to finish the Getaway List makes for fun storytelling but there’s the added bonus that all of them are intricately linked to each other and have their own struggles which only add to the enjoyment of the overall story instead of taking away the focus from Riley and Tom. The way Riley finds her place with Mariella and Luca but then also somehow strengthening her relationship with Jesse that seemed almost too good to be true was so wholesome. It’s a tough balance to make sure side characters are well-rounded without making them more important than the main plot and Lord balances this perfectly.

As with all stories by Lord, there are also more emotional topics covered and this time around, we really hone in on relationships with parents and just how much they can shape the way you not only approach other people but your own sense of self and future. Both Riley and Tom struggle with their mothers for very different reasons (one is hovering while the other is basically absent) and their attempts to come to terms with that

There is so much vulnerability shown in Riley and Tom confronting their respective mothers and the heart-to-hearts feel cathartic to a degree where you will most likely shed a tear or two. All I can say is, this might just be my favourite Lord book yet.

Hopeful, inspiring and escapist in the most wonderful way, The Getaway List is the joyous coming-of-age story that is a must-read for fans of the friends-to-lovers trope and Taylor Swift’s Welcome to New York.

This book had an adorable concept, but the pacing was off for me and I ended up skimming quite a bit of it in the last third.

Riley is at a crossroads in her life. She is graduating high school but has no further plans, until she decides to visit her former bff, Tom, in NYC. They have a goal of completing their "Getaway List" that they created together throughout the past few years. Lots of new friends will join them on their journey.

I had high hopes for this book after really enjoying some of Emma Lord's previous YA novels. This one was slow for me. It took forever to get from point A to point B, even when it was obvious. Some of the hard conversations that I was looking for didn't happen and some stuff got wrapped up too quickly. Ultimately, this was a cute YA coming of age novel, but it didn't impact me as much as I hoped.

Thank you to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for the advanced e-book in exchange for my honest review.

As a rule of thumb, if Emma Lord writes it, I’m reading it! (Seriously—she can do no wrong!)

This book was a cute coming of age story featuring Riley and Tom! They were best friends who never lost touch even separated by miles, and set off to check off everything on their childhood bucket list! (The writing group was fun!)

This would make for such a fun film adaptation!

This book is the definition of a coming-of-age book. Riley has just graduated high school and is contemplating what to do with her life after graduation. In comes her long-time best friend Tom who moved to New York early in their high school career. After graduation, Riley packs up a few of her clothes to reunite with Tom and tackle their Getaway list for a weekend. Riley ends up staying in NYC for the summer and goes on an adventure with new and old friends to find out who she is. If I had to relate this book to anything, I feel like this is a YA version of Friends. Every friend that Riley comes into contact with is also answering the question of what to do next in their life. I found this book wholesome and the obstacles each character faced realistic. I also really enjoyed how the issues each character faced weren't just brushed over, they were given a good amount of attention and made this story compelling.

4/5 stars for this book as it kept me interested and falling in love with Riley and the gang. Tropes (found family, friends to lovers, slow burn)

Thank you to Netgalley, Emma Lord, and St. Martin's Press for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Getaway List is a charming YA romance that has so much heart and humor, I couldn’t put it down. I alternated between the audiobook and the ebook and spent much of New Year’s Eve and Day enjoying it. Perfect way to relax—I fell in love with Riley and Tom and their good-natured hijinks. The will-they/won’t they dynamic was believable and felt natural.

The characters are 18 and on the cusp of figuring out what it means to be an adult, to find your true self, and to love selflessly. The adventures through NYC made me want to plan a visit (maybe next year?) and made me wish some of the fictional aspects were a reality.

Thank you @macmillanaudio @wednesdaybooks and @stmartinspress for the free arcs! I’m excited for everyone to get a copy of this lovely book.

DNF. I really liked the premise but the writing did not work for me at all. It wouldn't be fair to the book if I finished reading and gave it a low rating.

In short, I absolutely adored this book. I've read all of the author's previous works and enjoyed them, and this was no exception. The characters are SO relatable and SO real. I definitely saw a lot of myself in Riley. I could not put this one down and I found the ending so satisfying, and, to be a broken record, real. The fact that I could see all of this actually happening made it even more enjoyable for me.
I will be recommending this to others.

Thank you to St Martin's Press and NetGalley for the ARC!

Thank you to NetGalley and St Martin's Press for an advanced electronic copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

Riley is newly 18 and graduated from high school and ready to figure out who she is. Apparently, that includes taking the bus from Virginia to NYC to see her best friend Tom, who her mom has kept her away from for a few years. Cue hijinks.

The premise and some of the plot lines were cute, but overall, I found the characters frustrating. I just didn't care what happened to them, and I found some of their behaviors annoying. It wasn't even that they were young - it was like they were purposely choosing poorly for themselves and being whiny about it. Also, it's giving mommy issues.

Some parts were cute though! Not an overall mess! Just not for me.

I loved how this book made being a teenager in the verge if changes so realistic. The issues and feelings could be related to by anyone reading the book.

2.5/5 stars rounded up.

I didn't mean for this to be my first Emma Lord book. I had interest in her past YA works but ended up taking them off my to-read list because I wasn't interested enough. This one only caught my attention because it was free to grab on NetGalley for some time.

I do recognize that Lord's writing is good. Like, really good. She uses a lot of colorful metaphors and similes, and all her characters have clear, distinctive voices. Plus, the themes of finding yourself and reconnection with an old friend are perfect for YA; Lord seems to do the friends-to-lovers trope very well.

But, despite me enjoying the first six chapters or so, I found myself spacing out and becoming disinterested once Riley's summer stay in New York became official. Other characters are introduced, but rather than enriching the story, they made it stale. Even with their stand-out personalities, I couldn't bring myself to care about any of them; there was such a big disconnect. Plus, the themes kept running around each other chapter after chapter that I didn't felt like things were going anywhere until the last three chapters.

Overall, this was a fine read, but not for me.

The Getaway List by Emma Lord is a touching contemporary story about transitioning into adulthood and finding one's path in life. Such huge topics and something we all go through to varying degrees of emotional upheaval; I could easily relate and felt so much empathy for each character.

Riley is a fun main character, but I never doubted she would find her own way and barrel through life with her head held high. It is Tom who stole my heart. He has been Riley's best friend since they were eight, and the story sees them back together again after Tom had to move away a few years ago. He is in a tumultuous head space. Tom feels abandoned by his mother and never entirely fits into his new home. He is going through so much in his head and feels he has no one to talk to about it. When Riley re-enters his life unexpectedly, it's clear all he is missing in his life.

The romance is friends to lovers, though the pacing is much faster than in most of this trope. It felt inevitable, and I love that they took their time and it wasn't angsty. I also loved the group of friends they brought together and the different romantic entanglements. The group of friends pulling together to complete the getaway list was a lot of fun and probably was responsible for the faster pace. Overall, this was a fun yet powerfully touching story that left a lasting impression.

3.5 rounded down.

This is my second Emma Lord novel, and I think I'm starting to get a feel for her writing style. It's very Contemporary YA--think more along the lines of the difference in prose and writing style in Women's Fiction and Romance. Though this novel does have a heavy romance plotline beautifully strung throughout the book. It's heavy on inner monologue with characters that are oddly mature in an introspective way that only adults writing teens can master. It feels long, it feels slow paced, and while things happen, it also kind of feels like nothing happens at the same time? All-in-all, it reads like a book that you know you'll like at the end, but takes you a bit to get through. It's not a devour kind of story to me, but her last one I read wasn't either, so it's just my taste as a reader.

This book is single, 1st POV that has a lot of totally normal, teenage miscommunication in it. The teens did feel age appropriate to an extent, and I did appreciate that. I thought Riley's cussing was dumb and out of character though. I liked that not all the characters spoke that way--props to the author because she gave all the characters distinct voices. The romance is slow and sweet, just like 18 when you realize you love your best friend. It was heartaching and beautifully done.

Even though I felt like Riley's introspection was a little faux-mature, I also love love loved the internal struggles she was going through to discover herself and realize what she wanted and who she wanted to be. It's very coming of age, new horizons to discover, Contemporary Young Adult. And it's done really, really well for the genre and age range. I just prefer my stories to feel like quicker reads than this one ended up being for me.

All of that said, if you've enjoyed Emma Lord's YA stuff before, you will absolutely adore this one!!

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for a review!

A new Emma Lord book is always a treat. I enjoy both her YA and adult books.

This is a YA, coming of age rom-com about Tom and Riley. They are BFFs who have been living in separate cities for 3 years. The day after high school graduation, Riley has had enough of their separation, and letting her mom planning her life for her. She plans a spur of the moment weekend trip to see Tom in New York. That weekend, quickly turns into the whole summer. Tom and Riley have that will they or won’t they chemistry. Riley is easily immersed into Toms delightful group of friends. They decide to work their way through Riley and Toms old Getaway List, kind of a bucket list of adventures.

There are lots of fun moments and experiences, but also some deep stuff. The deep moments, such as Riley’s troubled relationship with her mother give the story depth and make the cute fun stuff even better.

This book has great witty/banter and delightful plot points and pace. She also perfectly captures the mindset of characters who are seventeen years old. The world is their oyster, full of possibilities. They are full of energy, and have lots of free time to immerse themselves in their friendships.

A joy from start to finish!

Thank you to St. Martins Press and Netgalley for providing me with an eARC of this book to read and review.

Will I read every book Emma Lord puts out? Yep.

The Getaway List is a list created by Riley and her best friend Tom when Tom was moving to NYC early in their high school careers. After Tom left, they both tried to get together and go on adventures, but they always failed. With this, they created the list. All of the things they wanted to do, but couldn't because something got in their way. Fast forward to high school graduation, Riley didn't get into any of the colleges that she applied to, and Tom is taking a gap year. What better way to celebrate her graduation than a trip to see Tom and check something off.

Riley decides to stay in NYC longer than expected, and wants to check off everything on their list. Will they be able to do it? Riley meets some friends along the way, and has to deal with various relationship issues during her time.

This was a fun after high school read. I feel like not many novels focus on students taking a gap year, or not going to college after high school (though moving to NYC after high school may be a bit of an unrealistic expectation for some.) I loved the characters and loved the ending!

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martins Press for the ARC in exchange for an honest review! Thanks to Libro.fm for the ALC as well.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an e-ARC of this book!

Emma Lord's books hit every time, and The Getaway List is no exception. Tom and Riley have been best friends since they were kids, but Tom moved away to NYC as they entered their teenage years. Despite not seeing one another for years, they maintained that special connection that only best friends can. Following graduation, Riley has a bit of an existential crisis and a fight with her mom, which lead her to steal away to NYC and knock on Tom's door. From there readers will enjoy a delightful will they/won't they friends to maybe something more story, the BEST group of nerdy found family buds, and the journey of young people on the cusp of adulthood trying to negotiate new, different, and better relationships with their parents, all while crossing items of their Getaway List.

This is the perfect book for older teens who are almost out on their own (younger teen readers will enjoy it too!) and are interested in a glimpse at what finding your own way can look like!

Tom and Riley have been best friends since childhood, when Tom, a gregarious and outgoing little boy, took Riley, a shy and awkward little girl, under his wing. However, their worlds were turned upside down when Tom and his mom moved to New York City and the best friends have struggled to stay connected ever since. Two years later Riley has no idea what’s next after graduating from high school. Riley feels like she is suffocating under her mother’s pressure to sort out her future and all she really wants is to see Tom.

Riley decides to go to NYC to see Tom after getting in an argument with her mother. She’s nervous, but relieved to see Tom seems genuinely happy to see her. Her planned weekend stay turns into a summer long stay in which she and Tom plan to complete the Getaway List they have been working on since childhood. Along the way they meet old and new friends who help them check off items on their list.

Their reunion has forced the best friends to consider that they may have more than just friendly feelings toward one another, but Riley can’t help but notice that Tom is no longer the happy and outgoing person she knew. He is more reserved, quieter and seems lonely. Riley understands, she too felt lost since Tom moved away, but she finally feels like she found her place in New You, but she not sure Tom feels the same.

The Getaway List was the story of Tom and Riley and the possibility of them becoming more, but it was also a charming and adorable coming of age story by Emma Lord.

Emma Lord is undoubtedly one of my favorite YA authors and anything she writes is an instant read. The book is fine but, this is my least favorite book from her. The story follows childhood best friends Riley and Tom. They have a list of best friend activities that they’ve always wanted to do together once they meet up again since Tom moved away to NYC. After high school graduation, Riley surprises Tom by showing up on his doorstep and they set out to accomplish the list with a group of new friends

This was a delightful book. Riley is a relatable character who is trying to discover who she is at the start of her adult life. Many teenagers will relate to this feeling of being lost as the world is starting to open up to them. Riley runs away to the big city to her childhood best friend to regain her adventurous self and figure out who she is. She and Tom make new friends and have plenty of adventures, all while discovering there is more to their relationship than friendship. Readers will enjoy the development of the characters and their relationships in this story.