This was lighthearted and fun! I really loved watching this authors YA books. She has a great way of combining serious topics and fun, chaotic energy into something that just works! I really liked Riley. I totally related to her back in high school.

The Getaway List begins at Riley’s high school graduation. With ten college rejections under her belt, she’s happy to be leaving high school, but sad her best friend Tom is in New York and isn’t by her side.

Riley decides to take an impromptu trip to see Tom for the first time in years. This trip is for a few reasons: largely, to see Tom, but also to get out of her hometown. When a few days turns into a few weeks, and her life in New York is full of adventures, she realizes just how much she missed Tom—and sees him in a new light.

The Getaway List featured great main characters and a group of distinct (though sometimes unrealistic) side characters. Emma Lord is one of the best YA authors out there and she has yet to disappoint. Weaving in complicated parental dynamics and such great internal monologue from Riley, she creates an amazing coming-of-age story.

The Getaway List by Emma Lord is a sweet, thoughtful story about finding your way back to yourself. I really enjoyed following Riley as she reconnects with an old friend and chases the dreams she’d once put aside—it felt honest and relatable, especially that feeling of wondering if you’re living life for yourself or just following someone else’s expectations. Emma Lord’s writing is warm and funny, and she does a great job capturing that mix of uncertainty and excitement that comes with starting over. Even though it’s a YA book, it touched on things we all think about: friendship, identity, and the courage it takes to change direction. It left me smiling and a little inspired.

Emma Lord kills it again. Full length blog post review will go up (https://warmfuzziesonly.wordpress.com/) - thank you for sending me this ARC, it was a pleasure to read.

This one just didn’t hit the way I hoped. The Getaway List sounded like it could be the kind of heartwarming YA story I’d still enjoy — a best-friends-to-maybe-more situation, a spontaneous adventure, and the magic of New York City. But in execution, it gave me the ick more than anything else.

The biggest issue for me was the tone. Riley, the main character, is freshly out of high school — but the way she reflects and monologues feels like she’s a 30-something looking back on her youth, not someone still in it. The inner dialogue just didn’t feel authentic to an 18-year-old, and it pulled me out of the story more than once.

Then there’s her mom… oof. For a parent who supposedly has a close relationship with her daughter, her behavior was bizarre. The “I don’t want you to make the same mistakes I did” stuff was insufferable and condescending — and the fact that she straight-up left her daughter on read all weekend after a major decision? Diabolical. Their relationship felt both overly enmeshed and strangely unresolved, which just didn’t work for me.

And Tom — her so-called “best friend”? I had a hard time buying it. They hadn’t seen each other in years, but we’re supposed to believe they’re still that close? The emotional stakes just didn’t feel earned, and the dynamic was off in a way that made it hard to root for the romance or even the friendship.

I think I’ve officially aged out of YA like this. I wanted to love the city setting, the premise, the idea of rediscovering connection and chasing a bucket list — but instead, the story felt flat, the characters felt off, and the charm I was hoping for just wasn’t there.

This was a wonderful coming of age novel. I loved the concept, the characters, and the themes. I’ve read this author before and have really enjoyed her writing, especially for young adults.

Another fantastic installment in Emma Lord's YA catalog. The Getaway List is a beautifully written with cheer and romance and all the heartwarming feelings.

This was a cute YA romance that follows Riley as she moves to New York City for the summer to reconnect with her childhood best friend Tom, and check items off The Getaway List - a list of all the adventures they’ve wanted to do together since Tom moved away. I liked the friendships between the characters and the NYC setting, which definitely made me want to go back to NYC. Riley has just graduated high school and is struggling to find herself and figure out what she wants to do next, which felt realistic and relatable.

There was nothing wrong with this book, it just didn’t fully hold my attention. It took me a while to finish, as I didn’t feel much desire to pick it up. I think YA romance just isn’t for me, it’s too chaste and doesn’t have enough drama or high stakes to keep me engaged. That said, if you like YA romance then I think you’d enjoy this one.

Overall, I enjoyed reading this book. I enjoyed reading about the mother/daughter relationship. I enjoyed reading about the main character and her adventures with her friend.

Cute little YA book. I enjoyed seeing where this story was going and the ride it followed.Lord has another win with this book.

I really really enjoyed this book! I don't think I've ever been disappointed by an Emma Lord book and this was no exception. New adult, living in New York for the summer after high school graduation, old friends and new, complicated family dynamics, finding yourself, best friends to lovers.

This is my least favorite of Emma Lord's books thus far possibly due to the romance denials feeling a bit repetitive.

I’ll read anything Emma Lord writes. Her books are fun and charming, full of heart with just the right balance of humor and genuine enthusiasm for the world. Anytime I pick up a new one of her books, I know it will be a fun time, and The Getaway List was no exception.

To my west coaster self, New York City is a fantasy land that only exists in Nora Ephron movies and novels by Meg Cabot and Emma Lord. To these writers, the city feels like a character itself, a setting so integral to the plot that trying to transplant the story anywhere else would make it fall flat. Emma Lord describes her most recent novel as not just a love letter to New York, “but my aggressively caps locked, mildly unhinged love scream to New York.”

One of the major conflicts of the novel is Riley’s relationship with her mother. Up until the events of The Getaway List, Riley and her mom had a close relationship, especially since her mother was a single mom. But Riley’s mom not only opposes Riley going to New York, but Riley realizes that the reason she hasn’t been able to cubist Tom for years is because her mother is trying to keep them apart. Mother/daughter relationships are a recurring theme in Emma Lord’s books and I liked how it was done here.

Another thing I greatly enjoyed in The Getaway List was the side characters. Each character added color to the story, all unique and memorable from aspiring writer Luca to coder Mariella to band member/swiftie Jesse. Despite the full cast of characters, they were introduced organically and fully fleshed out.

The only thing that kept this book at a four star instead of five, for me, was that it uses the childhood friends to lovers trope. This is entirely a personal preference, I rarely enjoy friends to lovers and almost never enjoy childhood friends to lovers. But it was well done in The Getaway List, the build up of Riley and Tom’s relationship on the page and their eventual romance was sweet.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an advance copy of The Getaway List by Emma Lord in exchange for my honest review and feedback. I absolutely love Emma Lord and anything she writes always puts a smile on my face and believe me this book does exactly that! I can't even begin to tell you how late I stayed up as I wasn't going to bed until I finished this. This might be one of the cutest, most fun books I've read yet this year and that is really saying a lot as I read a TON of books! Thanks Emma for always making me smile!

This was such a lovely, immersive story, and I found myself empathizing strongly with Riley and her struggles. Her and Tom's relationship is incredibly sweet and I was rooting for them the entire time.

This was a super cute read. I’ve loved everything I’ve read by Emma Lord, she always knows how to write these wonderful characters that just fit well together.

Riley and Tom haven’t seen each other since Tom left to New York City and have fallen out of contact when they used to be inseparable. Once graduation comes along, Riley decides to go find Tom in New York and reconnect with him, and complete The Getaway List which they started making when he left for NY.

I truly enjoyed the journey these two had, the growing feelings, the discovery of secrets they had kept from each other. The friendships they make along the way were so wholesome and I loved them so much.

Riley and Tom had a sweet slow burn that I really enjoyed.

A huge thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the eARC. All thought are my own.

Disclaimer: I received this e-arc from the publisher. Thanks! All opinions are my own.

Book: The Getaway List

Author: Emma Lord

Book Series: Standalone

Diversity: Puerto Rican character, MLM romance between side characters, queer characters mentioned

Rating: 3/5

Recommended For...: young adult readers, contemporary, romance, friends to lovers, "one day in NYC" but with a spin, coming of age

Genre: YA Contemporary

Publication Date: January 23, 2024

Publisher: Wednesday Books

Pages: 314

Recommended Age: 16+ (language, romance, sex discussion, running away, borderline child neglect/abandonment/abuse, bullying, alcohol consumption)

Explanation of CWs: There is some slight cursing in the book. There is very slight romance and mentions of sex as a topic of conversation. There is a run-away scene and there is some discussion of the MCs' parents and some of the issues brought up (one mom never being there because she travels for work and another pressuring/forcing one of the MCs into many and various activities) might border on neglect/abandonment (depending on state laws) and slightly abusive. There is also some bullying mentioned and some alcohol consumption shown.

If This Was a Taylor Swift Song: Never Grow Up

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.
Inescapably romantic and brimming with Emma Lord’s signature cheer, The Getaway List is an uplifting and romantic read that will settle into your heart and never leave.

Review: Overall, I thought it was a good book. The book centers on Riley, who's been in a little bit of trouble with her best friend before he moved away (Tom), and so for the past couple of years her mom's been pressuring her and bouncing her between multiple activities and jobs, anything to keep her busy. She tries, but she's obviously burnt out and decides, after a particularly heinous fight with her mom, to go visit Tom up in NYC. The majority of the book takes place in NYC and focuses on her and Tom completing this "getaway" list that they started writing years ago when Tom first moved away. As the duo completes each task it becomes that much harder for Riley to want to return home, but for Tom it becomes that much easier to want to move away from the city that's done nothing for him since his mom's basically dropped him off to go chase her director dreams elsewhere. I thought the book was a fun spin on the "one day in NYC" trope and I loved seeing the romance between Riley and Tom grow.

However, I felt like the pacing was very random. It bounced between fast and slow a lot and the plot felt evasive in multiple sections. The book started out so strong, but then it just lost all steam about 25% into it until about 90% in. I feel like this book could have been much shorter to keep that steam, as the pair completed the list before the end of the book, but that it had to be elongated to make it the minimum page count for a YA book. It's really frustrating to me because I like this trope of running away to NYC to discover yourself, I find it very poetic, but I didn't feel like this book really captured that magic particularly well.

Verdict: It was ok, not a reread for me but it might be a great read for you!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for providing me with an advanced e-book reader copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I thoroughly enjoyed Tweet Cute by Emma Lord, so when I came across The Getaway List, I was highly anticipating reading it. This book did not disappoint! I was particularly fond of the relationship between Riley and Tom. It reminded me of the friends in my life where, even after a long time apart, when we’re together, it feels like we’re right back home. The concept of a “getaway list” sounded incredibly exciting and served as a perfect setting for the friends-to-lovers trope. In my opinion, Emma Lord is one of my favorite authors when it comes to writing teen romances.

A cute new-adult romcom about good-girl Riley, her estranged best friend Tom, and the best summer of their lives.

With no concrete plans for college on the horizon and a lifetime of never breaking the rules under her belt, Riley decides to spend her summer after senior year in New York City visiting her childhood best friend, Tom, and fulfilling their long list of adventurous activities—The Getaway List. Of course, shenanigans ensue, feelings are revealed, parental tensions are taut, and new friendships are formed, but what more could you ask for from an Emma Lord YA?

Cute, clean, and perfect for readers grades 8-college. Fans of Jenn Bennett, Sarah Dessen, KL Walther, and Emory Lord will enjoy.

I love a coming of age book set in new york, but…this book had so much potential it just couldn’t reach. I wish the heart of the story could make up for the parts that didn’t work for me. I still liked it, but I wish I loved it.