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!

The Getaway List by Emma Lord 1/23/24, Run time 9:49

Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for this ALC💛 ! I voluntarily give my honest review and all opinions expressed are mine alone.

The narrator was Norma Butikofer, who did all the characters. I believe the voice fit the characters with standouts of Tom's brooding, and Luca and Jesse's excitement. Their voices were the most distinct, but I could easily tell the difference between all characters. The reading style did bring the story to life especially their time in New York. The pacing was great and flowed easily with the story. The narration and the author were in sync, and they fit together perfectly.

The audiobook's flow was pretty good. I loved the descriptions of New York and its landmarks. The narrator paused and announced every time a new chapter came. The book had a table of contents which helped me follow along with the e-book and audio.

Riley Larson is a high school graduate, rejected by all her college choices. She is okay with it but feels she has lost herself being the perfect daughter. Her mother Genny believes trouble finds her everywhere, especially when she and BFF Tom Whitz were together. Riley wants to visit him in New York after he moved with his Hollywood writer mother four years ago. Genny is against it, but Riley goes anyway to find herself.

Overall, this YA rom-com was great. Riley made new friendships, reconnected with Tom, and found her love of writing. Even the romance between Riley and Tom was sweet and slow burn. It was hard for them to confess their feelings, but vowed to always have each other regardless of what happens romantically.

My recommendation is to read the audiobook because you can adjust the speed, skip parts easily (if desired), and picture the characters more vividly.

This is my second experience with Emma Lord's writing, the first being When You Get the Chance. My overall impressions are similar—age-appropriate behaviors and feelings, with little/mild profanity and kissing.

In addition to Riley and her long-distance best friend/budding romantic interest Tom, several other late-teenagers join the Getaway List (bucket list) team. Jesse is a childhood friend of Riley and Tom's who has relocated to New York City to try to make it big with his band. Mariella is a newer friend of Tom's—they met in high school. Riley and Tom meet Luca at a writing class as soon as Riley arrives, and he grows on them. The various relationships that bloom within this group add significantly to the story.

I didn't want to stop reading—real world be damned! Throughout, I was rooting for the teens in their quest. It's easy reading: not too much angst, danger, or stress; plenty of adventure, growth, mystery, and humor. The teens are caring to—and generous with—each other, and they work cooperatively for the good of individuals and the group. Each has talents, skills, or connections to contribute.

I will definitely seek out more of Lord's work. I put her YA rom-com debut on my Overdrive wish list. I'll be keeping my eyes peeled for her upcoming book targeted at adults, which I hope will be every bit as delightful as her two YA books I've read.

Thank you, NetGalley and Macmillan Audio, for the audio ARC of the book in exchange for an honest review. Publication is expected January 23. 3.66⭐

Emma Lord is consistently a young adult author (can't wait for her adult debut later this year) I'm excited to pick up and recommend to my students. Her books always have so much depth beautifully presented in compelling stories. She does it again here. On the surface, this is a cute story about two long distance friends who catch feelings and spend the summer after they graduate checking things off a "bucket list" of sorts. Below that is a story of friendship, family dynamics, especially how things change as kids become adults, and figure out who you are/what you want to be. There's a great cast of secondary characters and the whole thing is narrated perfectly by Norma Butikofer, a new to me narrator. I'll be recommending this to students as soon as it hits shelves!

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.

I am a big fan of Emma Lord and this book was no exception! I loved Riley's New York adventure and all the people she met along the way.

Riley and Tom are one of those couples that you can't help rooting for. I loved that at the beginning of their story Tom helps Riley out of her shell and later she returns the favor. Their inside jokes are beyond adorable and you can't help rooting for them.

One thing that I loved about this book is that I would have happily read a book about any of the side characters as well. While I love reading interconnected standalones where the side characters get their own book, I also love getting to see Riley's friends figure their lives out alongside her.

I particularly connected to Tom's story as I also struggled with fitting in after I moved as a teen. It is easy to blame a city for a bad experience with a person or group of people. In my case, I was going to run away to New York but I also fell in love and was back in the original city within a year and happy to be there.

I highly recommend this story to anyone who likes a YA romance. This one would be suitable for both teens and adults. I think it captures the transition from high school and college and what that feels like particularly well. If you are a big Sarah Dessen fan (like I am) this book will be for you!

🎧🎧🎧🎧🎧-I listened to the audiobook version of this title and really enjoyed it! Norma Butikofer is a new narrator to me but I thought she did a good job with the narration. This book is single pov and single narrator.

🌶️ - This book contains a few kisses.

Sweet and meaningful young adult romance. My favorite Emma Lord so far!

After Riley's high school graduation, she heads straight to NYC to visit her childhood best friend, Tom. They decide to finally check off items on their "getaway list," which is a list of adventures they've wanted to do together since Tom moved away. Their reunion and connection is so sweet from the start, and their growth is supported by eachother in such a gorgeous, healthy way. This story is what I want more of in YA romance!

• The post-highschool "big city" adventure with a group of friends picked up along the way felt very realistic (very similar to the feeling of my early college days in Chicago!)
• The best-friends-first-and-always was lovely and never in doubt. I was glad that neither character had much anxiety over ruining their friendship with romantic feelings. (I don't care whether or not that's realistic!)
• Main and side characters were ALL so loveable.
• The angstiest part of this romcom is the mother-daughter dynamics which were definitely rough at times. The mom was definitely in the wrong and yet, I couldn't help but relate/understand her. (It's got to be so hard to let your baby go be an adult?! Like, will I be able to handle it any better than this mom?!?) Emma Lord did a really great job with this conflict and I think YA readers who are in high school or just out of it will relate so much!

🎧 Fantastic narration! Very easy to listen to! She played all parts gorgeously and I highly recommend this audiobook and narrator.

I really enjoyed this! Riley and Tom are well developed characters who felt like the reader’s friends by chapter 2.. Riley is relatable to everyone who’s ever been 18 and had their whole lives laid out before them, pulsing with possibility. The story plays out well, the pacing is well laid out, and I found myself rooting for Riley — fantastic YA novel 😊

The end of high school caused Riley to question whether or not she really knows who she is. She has spent so long pleasing everyone else in her life, especially her mother, that she forgets what would really make her happy. Thus, Riley takes off on a summer of disco ever in NYC with her long time crush, Tom. While there she connects with old and new friends, while truly discovering who she is and what she really wants in life. This is a must read for any high school student.

Another cute story by Emma Lord. Loved the New York setting and the fact that the main characters had a great connection. Great book for teens looking for a romance book.

Emma Lord writes the sweetest coming of age romance novels, and this one is no exception! Wanting to do something different than what is expected after her high school graduation, Riley decides to go off to New York to reconnect with her best friend Tom. Their relationship hasn't been quite the same since his mother's job took him away, and Riley is looking forward to seeing him in person (and hopefully checking some things off of the Getaway List they created together). Through their adventures they connect not only with each other but some newfound friends. They also discover more about who they are as individuals. .

The audio narration of this book was very enjoyable to listen to, and I thought the characters and plot were easy to follow. This is a very sweet story about finding your people and finding yourself. It's a great reminder to surround yourself with those who support your dreams and love you no matter what. Having a teenage daughter of my own, I also loved the mother/daughter storyline and growth. By the end of this book I had fallen in love with the friend group and the entire friends to lovers story. My teenager would love this one as well, and I won't hesitate to use an audiobook credit and gift it to her when it is officially released.

Thank you to NetGalley and Wednesday books for the advanced copy to read and review.

The audio recording of this YA friends-to-lovers romance was excellent. Norma Butikofer did a great job differentiating the characters' voices and bringing to life all the tensions and connections between these different personalities. I really enjoyed her narration.

The story itself was told in such a way that I was utterly invested in Riley and Tom as individuals, but also in their friendship and its potential to develop into more. The various reveals about their backstories continually complicated things in a way that was very satisfying to read about. I also loved the New York City setting, and the fact that these were mostly responsible teens doing ordinary things, not teens gone wild in a major American city.

Readers who enjoyed last year's Begin Again are in for another great story about the transition from childhood to adulthood.

With her latest novel, Emma Lord has penned one of the most relatable coming of age stories I’ve ever read. She perfectly captures what I think is a pretty universal experience for most young people as they turn 18, graduate from high school, and look to leave home and find their path forward as adults, in some cases, before their parents are really ready to let them go.

Riley finds herself in just such a situation when we meet her on her graduation day. She has been following a path her mom laid out for her but then fails to get into any of the colleges she applied to. Her mom is pushing her to go ahead and at least start community college, but Riley just isn’t feeling it and after some awkward exchanges with her mother where she really has to stress the fact that she is now an adult, Riley finally just tells her that she is going to NYC to see her childhood best friend, Tom, and to think about what she wants.

I loved seeing Riley re-connect with Tom. Their bond was clearly a special one and I especially loved that they still had this “getaway list” they had written years before and that they were now determined to actually complete the items on the list. Not only does this list help facilitate Riley & Tom’s re-connection but it also introduces Riley to several wonderful new friends who become like family for her. And while the list and its antics are meant to be fun, they also start to open Riley’s eyes and give her some concrete thoughts about what she might like her future to look like.

There is also a sweet romance brewing as Riley realizes she may have more than just friendly feelings for Tom, but at its heart, The Getaway List is really about Riley’s personal journey and Emma Lord has delivered her readers yet another gem of a read.

I alternated between the physical copy & the audiobook. The audiobook was narrated by Norma Butikofer who did a great job capturing both the fun and the soul searching vibes of Riley’s journey. I enjoyed both formats immensely!

4 1/2 stars

This book equally gave me "You go Glen Coco!" vibes and also really tapped into my now I'm an adult and have lost a bit of that adventure and wanted to scream "There's no time for risks!"

YA romance, did I realize that? No, I did not. See I knew it was she just graduated high school but I expected it to lean more into NA and college-esque but it still read very YA and high school for me. Tom and Riley have a beautiful friendship and the grand adventures mixed with some simplicity and mundane was fun to ride along with them. New York is always the perfect setting for these crazy escape your life and start fresh tropes and of course it worked here well.

It's a very sweet coming of age novel that shed some light on relatable themes and though it's been a while since I've faced any of the decisions that are viewed as challenges here (news flash- I still don't know what I want or am doing either. Your twenties don't fix anything), it transported me right back to the time that I was facing similar challenges.

The narrator was a perfect fit and transitioned between the female and male seamlessly. Her tone and flow kept me engaged and immersed in the story

#7 of 2024
The Getaway List by Emma Lord
Narrated by Norma Butikofer

Pub Date: January 23, 2024

Thank you @netgalley , @macmillan.audio and @Norma Butikofer for granting me access to this ALC in exchange for an honest review.

First of all let me just say that the author did an awesome job in switching between male and female characters. She did it so seamlessly! She gave life to the story and even if the story is as cliche as it can be at times - she gave life to it and made me stay more till the end.

This is my first friends to lovers in a very long time. I felt like I've just been drowning myself with tons of enemies to lovers so this was quite refreshing. I also liked the fact there's a huge involvement of their friends and family. That it wasn't plainly just the two of them against the world or something like that. I liked rooting for the side characters too and Riley's relationship with her mom. As well as Tom's too.

I also liked all the Taylor Swift references and some of the other jokes that were squeezed into this book. Mariella was a fun character to read, as well as Jesse and Luca.

I enjoyed listening to this story however at times it felt too cheesy, cringe and too good to be true (Or maybe I'm just a grumpy old person LOL and such an emo kid). But then again, that is why it's written because in this world that Emma Lord created - these things were possible to happen. It felt like a hallmark movie at times which again is not bad because I know a lot of people enjoy these feel good cutesy romance kind of story. Don't get me wrong, amidst all that I was able to enjoy finding out how Riley and Tom's story ended.

This was such a charming, endearing and emotionally resonant coming-of-age story! It has a light and airy style while delving into profound depth and tenderness, connecting with individuals who have experienced a sense of displacement on their quest for self-discovery. I recommend this for those looking for a light, fun filled, friends to lovers, journey to self-discovery themed kind of read.

With a unique blend of romance and adventure, this book is a perfect companion for those looking to escape the mundane in New York. Lord's witty writing style adds a refreshing touch to the story, making it an enjoyable read for teens. While the plot might veer into predictability at times, the overall experience is akin to a cozy weekend getaway – charming and pleasantly diverting

Adorable contemporary romance. A coming of age story about a girl escaping her small town for the big city and finding her way with the help of her oldest friend and new ones she meets along the way.

This was such a fun coming of age story. Riley - after high school graduation decides it’s been too long since she saw her old BFF Tom when he moved away and randomly shows up on his doorstep in NYC.
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Along the way she makes friends, deals with family drama, works on their childhood bucket list and tries to not fall in love all while figuring out how to support herself if she stays in the city. Totally valid question! I loved this group of friends. They all felt and authentic each with their own struggles and triumphs.
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I love any type of list trope in books. Is that a trope? It’s something to do and work towards and of course there’s bound to be slight changes to how it’s executed. I don’t make bucket lists or getaway lists but I always love seeing others because I know I’d miss something or learn something new. Also I need that brownie shop in my life. Maybe I’ll need to bake brownies today 😁
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This story releases NEXT WEEK and thank you to @netgalley and @macmillan.audio @wednesdaybooks for the audiobook. @dilemmalord continues to be an auto-buy and auto-read author. These are my own thoughts and opinions.
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Can be triggering: mild language, 1 small incident of underage drinking (not from MCs), family abandonment,

Narration: The narrator's voice was perfectly lighthearted and youthful for this fun #YaRead and switched between the characters voices with ease and clear distinction

In #TheGetawayList we meet Riley as she's graduating high school, unsure what her next steps should be. In the meantime, in the spur of the moment, Riley decides to visit her best friend Tom in NYC. Riley and Tom had grown up together, their moms best friends, they'd become inseparable until a few years back when Tom's mom moved them to NY. They'd kept in touch but that mostly meant Riley barraging Tom with texts and Tom only answering every so often.

The second Riley appears at Tom's door it's like no time had passed at all, like nothing had changed, except maybe Riley noticing how hot her best friend was all of a sudden. Before he'd moved away, the two of them concocted "The Getaway List", a bucket list of sorts, of all the things they wanted to do together and what better time than now. As the two of them work through the list, making friends along the way, Riley starts to feel at home in NY wondering if maybe her future is here in NY with Tom. But as she starts to peel back the reasons Tom had been distant since he moved, she realizes his future might not be in NY here with her after all.

This was everything you could want it to be, free spirited and fun, youthful but with a sense of maturity and purpose. There's an undercurrent of friendship, in all shapes and forms, running through the novel that was just so nice to encounter and that created a warmth so inviting you couldn't help but wish u were part of the crew. I loved Riley and Tom individually and together, I just would've liked to have had more of them, more of when the friendship crossed over into something more, more intimate moments between just the two of them. Still it was refreshing to read the innocence of the experience of being on your own for the first very time, with the cushion of a first love becoming the very last love too

I’ve been in a huge book funk. Nothing was working, I’d read a half hour or so and completely lose interest. This was so distressing because I have SO many books to read.
So I scrolled through my NetGalley and saw that I had The Getaway List still in my queue. I’ve never read anything by Emma Lord but I heard so many great things about Tweet Cute so figured, can’t hurt. Well… that was the best decision I made. I zipped right through the first 85% and probably could’ve kept going if I wasn’t exhausted. But I woke up and finished it pronto!

Riley and Tom were best friends and got into LOTS of mischief when they were growing up. But since Tom moved away they haven’t been as close and they haven’t been able to complete their Getaway List, a list of adventures they want to do together. So what should Riley do when she graduates and has no plans?? Well, New York to see Tom of course!

I loved that they had this amazing friendship (but of course there was a mutual attraction happening😻). They have this incredible found family with other friends and explore New York City together. Both Riley and Tom were raised by their single moms (who were friends) but are currently having mom issues and rely on each other to work through them. I REALLY liked how Riley worked so hard to be a good person for her mom and the relationship they had. Her thoughts were spot on as a daughter and young adult making changes in life.

Norma Butikofer was a great narrator. She personified Riley’s emotions to a tee. I’ll be looking for more from her and I will for sure be reading the rest of Emma Lord’s work. This was such a treat!

Thank you Macmillan Audio, Macmillan Young Listeners, and NetGalley for my early review copy.
These thoughts are my own.