Although I think it’s a bit young for me, I thought this book was very cute! It’s definitely a good coming of age/romance book that I would’ve eaten up when I was in high school.

I agree with another review that I saw - this was a bit too many tropes all at once. I wished the author picked one or two and stuck with them instead of a mix mash all together.

Even though I don’t think I’m the target demographic, I think this is a book that can be enjoyed by anyone who wants to be transported to their teenage self, remembering the times when the world seemed so vast and you felt so lost.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC!

Thank you to St Martins Press and NetGalley for the ARC of this book.

I will happily leave a review for this when the racist remarks by one of their employees is addressed. I want to support the author, but also want to know they don’t support this behavior.

This is absolutely a me thing. I love Emma Lord's books, but this is a pile of tropes layered together that are all not for me. Too much chaos and wild decisions and road trip vibes. I found myself clenching my teeth in stress while reading and hoping to love it and I just dont want to spend my reading minutes stressed out.

The Getaway List is a marvelous mashup of found family, self-discovery, and friends-to-lovers romance. I thought the side characters were just as captivating as our MCs and there were some A+ Taylor Swift references!

Emma’s books are like a warm cookie. They evoke a feeling of comfort, joy, and familiarity. I felt like I was right alongside Riley and Tom as they explored NYC, and I thought the development of their romantic relationship was perfectly balanced with their existing friendship.

There is some great banter in this book, and I think Emma is hilarious on and off the page. This book is an utter delight and I cannot recommend it enough to fans of YA. This is the book I needed at 18.

I’ll leave you with some favorite quotes:
“Far as I know, I’m going to be stuck in Falls Creek until I Falls Croak”
“Does the blue of this graduation gown make my existential terror pop?”
“I’d rather be running toward the unknown here than standing still anywhere else”

Thank you to Wednesday Books for an eARC. All thoughts are my own.

Riley graduates high school with loose threads and a sense of bewilderment for what's next. There's her mom's plan, the handful of college rejections, and a pull to visit her best friend of the past, Tom. A trip to New York City to reset for a weekend turns into more when life throws a couple of unexpected curveballs.
The way that Emma writes books for teenage me. Why do I have to be so old in this YA era?? At least my heart is young even if my face would say otherwise? I can see my younger self in Riley (minus the whole helicopter parent thing) through her toeing the line, joy for food, friendships, and adventure. I absolutely need an Emma curated tour through New York. Emma's enthusiasm for the city screams through her writing. I loved the found family, but most especially the opportunity for reconciliation on all fronts.
Thank you to Wednesday books for the traveling arc to read and pass on. All thoughts are my own.

The Getaway List is the story of two best friends who are reunited after high school graduation. Riley has never doubted Tom is her best friend, but they have somewhat fallen out of contact since he moved to New York City. When she graduates, she decides to take a trip to New York City and find Tom. The Tom she finds is a shadow of his former self. Riley resolves to reignite the connection they had and suggests they try to complete their “getaway list.” As they adventure through the city, Riley finds herself with strong feelings for Tom. Are Riley and Tom meant to be only best friends or something more?

The Getaway List is such a fun and sweet YA. It’s a slowburn friends-to-lovers romance. Riley and Tom have such a solid friendship, but have fallen out of touch in very understandable ways. I loved seeing the growth in Riley’s relationship with her mom. Riley and her mom start out on a very tumultuous note, because Riley travels to NYC despite her mom's fears. Throughout the book, they work towards a stronger bond with deeper understanding. Tom and Riley have a beautiful friendship and relationship; I loved how they really grew together. The cast of friends was incredible and the perfect complement to their adventures through NYC. The Getaway List is a love letter to the magic and delicious baked goods of NYC and readers will feel like they’ve taken a vacation there. The Getaway List is an adventurous and hopeful romance that would be perfect for anyone who loves contemporary YA.

Thank you to Emma Lord, Wednesday Books, and Netgalley for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

For publisher: My review will be posted on Instagram, Goodreads, Amazon, Storygraph, and Barnes & Noble etc

Emma Lord’s sparkling writing style never fails to make me grin, but she’s truly outdone herself this time. The Getaway List is a warm hug from a kindred spirit. It’s also the exact type of soul wandering, yet uplifting, romantic comedy I’ve been craving—not to mention the type of book that’s been difficult to find in the YA Contemporary genre, recently. I’m so very happy to have read it!

After high school graduation, Riley feels lost, so she packs her bags and moves to New York, staying with her childhood best friend, Tom, for the summer. As they rediscover their friendship, and make their way through a list of adventures, Riley embarks on a journey to find herself again and uncover what she values most in life.

Tom and Riley’s friendship crackles with chemistry and their romance unfolds with all the ache, pining, and high stakes risk that hovers between two people who share so much more than a surface level attraction. Tom is sweet, sensitive, bookish, and kind. Teenage me definitely would have fallen for him.

The novel is also a love letter to New York, taking the reader on a magical journey through the city, set to a Taylor Swift soundtrack. The writing captures the vibe of the 1989 album and, if you’re a Swiftie, you won’t be disappointed by the abundance of effortlessly woven in Taylor references.

Then, there are the friendships! Oh, the friendships! Mariella, Luca, and Jesse aren’t just sidekicks to Riley and Tom’s story. They live, breathe, and leap off the page with full lives of their own—enriching the plot and making you wish you could join their friend group, too.

Emma Lord’s books are total mood boosters, overflowing with lovable characters, quirky fun, and mouthwatering descriptions of decadent desserts! The Getaway List has all of the above and more. So much of this story is about being seen and accepted by friends who sincerely love you. It’s a must read for anyone in search of a romantic story overflowing with meaning and authentic human connection, similar to books by Jenny Han, Rainbow Rowell, Sarah Dessen, and Stephanie Perkins.

***Thank you to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for providing an ARC copy of The Getaway List in exchange for an honest review.

I have loved a few of Emma Lord's books, but I think I might officially be too old for them. I couldn't relate to Riley as a chronic overachiever to a fault, but that's just a me problem. Aside from that, I found it just very gen-z and I couldn't get into it.

Emma Lord is an auto buy author for me whose YA books I am always eagerly anticipating. While THE GEATAWAY LIST isn’t my favorite of hers, it still had its enjoyable moments.

My thoughts:
-miscommunication and lack of communication is always a no go for me
-love NYC setting
-didn’t connect or feel invested in any of the characters
-deals with mother/daughter relationship issues

Pairing my least favorite trope of miscommunication with characters whose romance I didn’t believe in was what didn’t sell me on a really cute bucket list concept I thought I would love.

Thank you Netgalley and Wednesday Books for the arc.

The Getaway List

3.75 ⭐️

This book made we want to plan another trip to New York and check my way through my own getaway list!

Riley is closing out her high school graduation with no set plans for the future. She sets off to NYC to visit her best friend and winds up finding a group of friends who really love and support each other. As they work through relationships with their parents, each of these young adults start to find themselves and grow in the process.

I enjoyed the growth and found family this book has. Parts of this felt a little slow just due to the inner monologue while Riley grew. There was quite a bit of repetition for the characters too, so it could have been tighter. Still a nice YA book for people who love young characters spreading their wings!

Queen Emma can do no wrong. There’s not a single book of hers that hasn’t immediately sucked me in and didn’t let me go, and this was no different. I ADORE Riley and Tom, and the theme of checking things off a list. This coming-of-age set against the backdrop of New York and navigating the minefield that is moving from friends to lovers, I highly recommend this to all YA romance readers.

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


Tom has been living in NYC for a couple of years now since his mom uprooted him from his hometown to follow her writing dreams in the big city. When they moved, he left behind his best friend Riley…and a little bit of who he was. The pair made a list of all the things they wanted to do that summer, but never got a chance before the sudden relocation. He tries to fit in at his new school, but it’s just not the same. So when Riley shows up unannounced on his doorstep one day after graduation, he’s both excited and a little scared – is this their chance to do all the things on The Getaway List or is it an opportunity for more?

Emma Lord is known for her ability to weave young adult storylines with humor and romance. Her latest release The Getaway List is a shining example of her stellar creativity. The best friends and their cast of supporting characters will have readers laughing at the witty dialogue and planning their own trip to NYC to join in the fun. Written for the young adult audience, this book explores what it means to gain freedom to write your own destiny and the value of friends who really see who you are.

I give The Getaway List 4 out of 5 stars. The book is truly a young adult novel with vernacular and phrases I am used to hearing my own teens speak, which made it difficult for me to dive into at first. However, the amazing character development and tiny surprises throughout the novel kept me on my toes and drew me in – I didn’t want to put it down. I hope Lord plans a sequel to this book – I would love to read more about Riley and Tom, or any of these characters!

As with any coming-of-age story about young adults in their late teens, this book would be best directed to readers over the age of 13. There is minimal inclusion of underage alcohol use that is frowned on by the friend group, and no other overtly illegal actions included. I appreciated Lord’s inclusion of multiple romances that felt authentic and mature without the inclusion of physical sex between characters. I would love to see this book as a choice for my local independent bookshop’s young adult novel club! For the adults out there looking for a lighter RomCom read – if you liked Emily Henry’s Book Lovers, you’ll love this book, too!

I have followed Emma Lord on social media since the release of her previous book Begin Again launched earlier this year. When I saw The Getaway List available through NetGalley, I jumped at the chance to review it! Lord’s style of writing takes me back to my own college experience and leaves me wishing for those friendships again, too.

The Getaway List releases January 23, 2024 – preorder your copy today!

Another Emma Lord hit! A delightful YA read! I loved the care shown for each other by the main characters. The mother child relationships were complex and realistic. Buying!

The getaway List by Emma Lord was a well rounded cutesy romance of enemies to lovers that I would recommend to friends and family. It was a bit of a slow burner in my opinion but that is not negative in any way, for the book kept me interested and I especially enjoyed the characters throughout the story. I would read more books by this author.

Thank you Netgallery for this ARC!! As always, Emma Lord’s books are easy and fun reads and this one was no different. I loved the found family aspect and childhood best friends reuniting while also making new friends. Such a good read!

This teen/ya romance was so good. I highly enjoyed it and it kept me entertained. I liked the light romance that this offered and I read through this quickly. Riley and Tom are 2 very good characters and I loved they way that they were written and their adventures and love.
I just reviewed The Getaway List by Emma Lord. #NetGalley
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Riley has always kept in line and done the responsible things but this summer she decides to take her future into her own hands and dream big much to her mother's disappointment.

She heads to New York and meets up with her best friend Tom even though they haven't kept in touch very much since he moved. Once back to together they decide to finally complete their bucket list they created as kids!

I am a sucker for Emma Lord novels and she hooked me in again! This book was not only about a sweet best friends love story but truly finding yourself and having the courage to be out of your comfort zone.

Emma Lord does it again! I really enjoyed this book— it felt like the more thoughtful older sister of Tweet Cute, a longtime favorite of mine by Lord. I really liked how while this book had a romance, it was only one area of life for her main characters. They had careers and dreams and friends and family— all of those areas were just as important to them as the romance. Plus, who doesn’t love a book that feels like a love letter to New York?

I was excited to see a new Emma Lord book and "The Getaway List" did not disappear.

Riley realizes at Graduation that she has been living to keep her mom happy by not causing her any trouble, and now has no idea what would make her happy anymore. Looking back at her Getaway list, she is thinking of everything sheissed out on that she wants to reclaim. After discovering her mom has been actively keeping her and Tom apart, she impulsively takes a bus to New York to visit her best friend Tom and reenact the getaway list. What follows is a beautiful friends-to-lovers YA story that gets to the heart of the joy and pain of growing up and finding yourself.

I couldn't help but love Riley and Tom, and their merry band of friends they make a long the way. If you like YA, friends to lovers, and a move to the big city plot this book is for you.

This is a cute coming of age story about not knowing what you want to do after high school. There’s emphasis on adventures in a new place, new friendships, being on your own, and navigating relationships with parents.

I found this to be enjoyable but not a favorite. I didn’t really love any of the characters and I especially find it difficult to enjoy a romance book if I don’t find myself rooting for the main couple to end up together. There was lots of adventure involved with checking things off of a bucket list, which was kind of fun but also just had a lot going on.

If you love NYC, I think you should check this one out because the love of the city was a big part of what drew Riley there.

There was also a lot more language than I expected which surprised me.

Thanks to Netgalley and Wednesday Books for providing me a copy in exchange for a review!