4.5 stars
What to expect:
*friends to lovers
*coming of age
*found family
*strained relationships
*single moms with teenagers

What I loved:
The character arcs for both Tom and Riley, seeing how they were both struggling on their own and they didn’t turn to each other to fix it. But they were both there to support one another through it.

I’m a sucker for a good ‘let’s complete this list’ trope and watching all the adventures ensue. I love how it brought this group of friends together.

It was inspiring to read her fervor of being young and figuring everything out. To hear her describe what writing felt to her, it was weirdly electrifying.

What was missing:
Honestly just a dual POV 😂 I loved Tom and I would have liked to get in his head more although I recognize it wasn’t that type of story. Maybe just a couple of chapters to understand his world and struggles more? I loved the whole group of characters but I think there was a little bit lacking, like I wanted more of all of them. But I’m also not sure how that would have happened without muddying Riley’s story too much.

Overall, this was such a fun read. It felt like a love note to New York and to finding your own place in life. Recommend for fans of other Emma Lord books and Morgan Matson.

All of Emma Lord's YA books are exceedingly charming and The Getaway List is no exception. It is filled to the brim with all of the things I have come to expect in Lord's books: an adorable found family of misfits, hijinks, deliciously described desserts and the type of issues that kids on the precipice of deciding their futures have to deal with. I so appreciated how Riley doesn't have it all figured out yet and so much of her journey in this book is finding out who she is and finding a place for herself. This book really felt like Lord's love letter to NYC and ultimately finding a place where you feel like you can spread your wings. I loved Riley's friendships in this book and most importantly her friends to potentially more with Tom which unfurled slowly and lovely.

The Getaway List was a very cute conceit and it was entertaining to follow this group of kids around the city as they completed the things on the list. It ultimately kept the book going and the pacing never dragged, but I'm not sure that it leant the book as much meat as I might have liked. It felt like the book was stringing along the concept a little too much and I would have liked a little more maybe conflict or something. As a character study though, I so appreciated Lord really going there with mom issues and not wanting to repeat the mistakes of the past while also letting kids make their own mistakes and figure out where they belong by themselves.

Lord is a most read for me and even her YA books that aren't my favorite are still so enjoyable and I always find something to love.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for giving me an opportunity to read an E-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I LOVE THE TAYLOR SWIFT REFERENCES!!! It was a good older YA story - light and cute, coming of age. The only criticism is that it was a bit cheesy.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

4.5/5 stars

The Getaway List is a Young Adult romance featuring 18 year old Riley spending the summer in New York City.

This is a sweet coming of age story. Riley is 18 and just graduating high school. She goes to NYC to spend the summer with her best friend Tom, who she hasn't seen in 3 years. They are both trying to decide what they want to do with their lives. With a group of friends they travel around the city checking off items from the "getaway list" (a list of adventures that they created when they were 15).

This book is about friendships, each of their relationships with their moms, a fun delivery app that they work for, and of course the list.

The setting was incredible. I love NYC as a setting. The friendships were amazing. I really liked Mariella, Tom, Luca and Jesse. The getaway list was super fun. And the delivery app, where people send gifts anonymously was definitely one of my favorite parts of this book. There is also romance and some surprising developments, which made this such an enjoyable read.

The last third was good. However I thought that the epilogue dragged a bit. But overall definitely a fun YA read!

Such a great coming of age book that showed the importance of friendships and navigating complicated relationships with parents. I love the New York setting, the adventures they had thanks to The getaway list and the book that started it all. Riley and Tom are more than best friends and facing those feelings while figuring out life is tough. I love Riley and Tom and how well they fit together and know each other. I also love Mariella, Luca and Jesse. The group dynamic is supportive and loving and everyone should have people like that in their lives.

This is such a sweet story ~ part coming of age, part romance, part love letter to New York... it was filled with fun, family relationships, and found family. I loved the journey through the relationships, the places in the NYC setting, and how everyone worked their way on their own paths. I look forward to the author's next book! Thanks to Netgalley and Wednesday Books for the advance digital copy.

Thanks so much to St Martin’s Press, Wednesday Books,and NetGalley for the ARC.

THE GETAWAY LIST is another charming book by Emma Lord. She’s a fave for me in the YA department and an auto buy author. I have been so fortunate to read her last few books early and I always adore her characters and the realness they bring to growing up and coming of age. This one specifically highlighted parental relationships at the pivotal time of graduating high school. The New York setting was like a love letter to the city and I liked seeing Riley figure things out. The overall story was much less a love story and more about her finding herself and navigating her relationship with her mom, with some romance sprinkled in. I liked it!

such an adorable YA rom com!! i absolutely love her other books as well and love this one just as much!! can’t wait to recommend it in my store!

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!

This is probably our favorite of Lord’s YA novels (we’ve shared reviews of Tweet Cute and You Have a Match on previous lists), and it’s largely because of the friend group the novel centers on.
Riley Larson’s graduation cap is covered in her ten rejection letters (turns out colleges aren’t super interested in you when you’ve got a suspension on your permanent record), but on the inside, she’s attached “the Getaway List,” a list of adventures she never got to go on with her best friend Tom when he moved to Manhattan the summer before high school started.

She’s got no idea what she’s going to do with her life beyond work at her mom’s coffee shop over the summer. And really, she doesn’t even know who she is anymore: she used to be fun, mischievous, and brave, but when she got suspended, her mom enrolled her in so many extracurriculars and jobs to keep her out of trouble that now she barely has time to think.

When Tom texts Riley during her graduation ceremony, it gets her thinking about all she’s lost, and she decides to take the bus down to Manhattan to visit him. When she finds out that her mom has intentionally been keeping her and Tom apart, however, she decides she’s staying in Manhattan for the summer.

As Tom and Riley reconnect, they embark on a summer of adventures, trying to cross items off their Getaway List and building a group of friends—Luca, who, like Riley, longs to be a writer; Jed, Riley’s ex-boyfriend who moved to Manhattan with his band; and Mariella, Tom’s only friend in Manhattan.

The novel perfectly captures the sense of freedom following high school: you’re an adult, your entire future is ahead of you, and you’ve got a solid group of friends who are rooting you on. Add in some romance, some family conflict, and the universal experience of trying to figure out just who you are and who you want to be, and this is escapist fun with beautiful friendships at its heart. (Note: There is some mild profanity in the novel, making it more appropriate for high school audiences.)

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

(Also posted on Goodreads; will be posted on https://threeheads.works/ on February 2, 2024.)

Another January, another Emma Lord book to tear through! All of her stories take place in magical NYC, and in this novel, Riley turns a weekend visit to see her best friend Tom into a summer staycation. On the day of her high school graduation, Riley discovers she has lost herself in the pursuit of being the ideal daughter for her mom. With no clear direction in life, she decides to spend the summer in New York, reconnecting with her childhood friend Tom. Together, they embark on the adventures listed on their Getaway List, rediscovering Riley's adventurous spirit and navigating unexpected romantic complications. I enjoyed the adventurous spirit in this one, along with the many lovely supporting characters. and of course the friends-to-eventual-lovers storyline. Put this one on your winter tbr to get you in the spring/summer mood!

The Getaway List-a standalone

By: Emma Lord- new to me author

Publication date: 1/23/24, read 1/21/24

📃 Page count: 314 kindle

Summary: Riley Larson (18) has graduated high school resolved not to attend college, after being rejected by all her choices. She has lost herself being "the perfect daughter" her mother wanted after some high school hijinks and a suspension. Riley has missed her BFF Tom Whitz (18) who moved freshman year from their hometown Falls Creek, Virginia to New York. His mother Vanessa had become a famous Hollywood writer and director, even nominated for an Oscar. Riley defies her mother and goes to visit him in New York with the hope of finding herself.

🤷🏾‍♀️ What to Expect:
⭐ ️BFFs/ teen friendships
⭐️ friends to lovers
⭐️ clean romance
⭐️ single parents
⭐️ YA/Rom-Com
⭐celebrity

🤔 My Thoughts:
I really enjoyed Riley and Tom's friendship I've heard one of the most important things to keep depression and anxiety at bay is community. Riley joins the writing community with Luca's encouragement. Riley and Tom had the same interest in the tv show Tides of Time. Tom and Maribella created the "Dear Love" app together. And Jesse went to school with Riley and Tom.

The relationship between Riley and her mom Genny was complicated but loving. Genny didn't want Riley to end up like her-working at a coffee shop, struggling financially, and becoming pregnant at eighteen. Riley just wanted to spread her wings which most high schoolers do.. Mine was going away to college and moving out my parents house.

Tom was a lonely yet generous guy. He disappeared a lot and didn't do a lot of hanging out. His mother left him alone, her career her priority. Tom didn't feel important to her and was tired of pretending. He did nice little things for Riley and the gang, avoiding his own problems.

Tom and Riley were childhood BFFs after their mothers became friends. It was hard for them to take the jump to become more. They both vowed that whatever happened they would always have each other. I loved Riley's grand gesture to Tom, professing her love for him.

Rating: 5/5 💫💫💫💫💫

Spice level 1/5🔥 (kissing only)

Thanks to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for this ARC 💛! I voluntarily give an honest review and all opinions expressed are my own.

Quick Thoughts Reviews + a #sundayshelfie

🚊 The Getaway List by Emma Lord. Emma Lord writes dependably satisfying YA. In this book, uncertain high school graduate Riley determines a path forward & a new life in NYC, as she & her long-time bestie Tom cross items off their Getaway List. TGL is cute, with moments of sadness as the besties reveal their struggles to each other, & underneath a lovely burgeoning romance is a strong friendship that gave me lots of feels. 4.25 ⭐️. Out now. (Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the complimentary ARC. All opinions provided are my own.)

✏️ Letters to Half Moon Street by Sarah Wallace. This queer historical romance with some fantasy is so cute! It’s EPISTOLARY, (that’s the magic word, right?), featuring letters written from a sometimes clueless lead, Gavin, to an eventual love interest, his family, etc. Charming, funny, & sweet, this kissing-only book is a delightful & quick read. So happy I read it! 5 ⭐️, out now. (Read for the BookRiot Read Harder Challenge: a cozy fantasy book.)

🪶 A Feather So Black by Lyra Selene. A fae fantasy featuring a Changeling who’s been raised as the foster daughter of a human queen out for revenge against the Folk. This fantasy has steam, a love triangle-ish situation, & a heroine who’s felt the sting of not being fully accepted most of her life. Lots of angst in this one, & a romantic relationship that grew a bit annoying for me, but also an intriguing story & a nice setup for book 2. 3.5 ⭐️, out 03/12. (Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the complimentary ARC. All opinions provided are my own.)

📖 have you read any of these or are any on your TBR?

This is honestly the first year I've gotten into young adult romance, I've read two so far and I've loved them both!! This one in particular was so adorable. Not only was the love story adorable but this was a beautiful coming of age story.

This story follows the friends to lovers trope but also has a little bit of found family going on. This was the most authentic found family I've read and it reminded me a lot of my own college friend group. 💙

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read this early. Look at me somehow managing to stay on top of my 2024 ARCs for far!

I feel like this book was a ME problem and not the fault of the author or book itself that I didn't seem to be enjoying it as much as everyone else. I think I didn't look at the synopsis well enough and realize that our main characters were fresh out of high school, and that I was reading very much reading a YA cutesy love story.

However, I will say that in spite of how much I wasn't connecting with the characters, the writing was nice, it was well paced, and the cute and quirky moments weren't the kind of humor in books that I find cringey and not relatable. I did see that Emma Lord has another more like summer romance coming out, and I plan on picking that one up instead because it sounds like it will perhaps be more to my liking and I definitely want to give this author another shot.

This book is so endearing! I will say, I think I was a bit old for this read to really be as impactful as it could have been (Riley, our main character, is freshly 18 and graduated from high school) because I'm 23 and graduated from college. Beyond that though, I think this is a really good read for any teen! Or anyone looking for a clean, yet still impactful and adorable rom-com. It not only shows navigating changing emotions and perceptions of love but also growing independence, learning maturity, establishing healthy friendships, and learning to identify manipulative relationships. I do really appreciate the relationship that Riley and her mother have, I was worried it would fall to the wayside in the wake of Tom and Riley's budding romance but they had a really healthy, productive, and prominent resolution. Ultimately, I think this book is adorable and gives parents a lot of grace by portraying them as what they are; people, just like their children are. I plan to get a copy for my high school classroom library.

The Getaway list is a cute coming of age YA book, with a touch of angst, coupled with self discovery, and sprinkled with romance and whimsy. I enjoyed the concept of this book with a bucket list of adventures co created with Riley and her childhood friend Tom. Riley decides to spend the summer in New York City after her high school graduation and with the help of Tom, who moved here with his show business mother, will complete the items on the Getaway List. Through various adventures in the city, Riley embarks on a path of self discovery and develops new friendships and a developing romance with her once platonic best friend Tom along the way. Emma Lord writes a charming, coming of age book that feels like a warm hug and leaves you feeling comforted and happy. As well who can resist the cute nerd aspect along with Taylor Swift references in a New York setting.
4 out of 5 stars

Thanks to NetGalley and St Martin’s Press Wednesday Books for this eARC which will be published January 23 2024.

This delightful YA friends-to-lovers romance is filled with all the New York things, some good Taylor Swift references and those hard but necessary conversations with your parents.
Tom and Riley have been best friends since they were little. However, after four years of living miles away from Tom, Riley worries their friendship is falling apart. Further, having just graduated and unsure of what path she wants to take, she feels stuck. On a whim and faced with her mother's irritation, she takes a train to N.Y. and lands on Tom's doorstep. Riley finds that after three years apart, a lot has changed, including a newly found attraction to Tom. I enthusiastically recommend this charming & sweet read!
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Thank you, thank you Wednesday Books & NetGalley for the ARC. I absolutely cannot wait to buy a copy when it releases!

Emma does it again bringing us another delightful reading experience!
The Getaway List by Emma Lord was honestly amazing!
This book was phenomenal. Emma Lord has this incredible way of creating stories that entrap you into an imaginary world.
A charming and cute read about two loveable and enjoyable characters.
Tom and Riley were swoony and I adored every single thing about them.
I was captivated by the characters - they are endearing and real and the author did an excellent job making you feel like you know them.
Lord sure knows how to write a feel good, laugh-out-loud novel.
This is a charming book you can just fall into.

I can’t wait to see what The Break-Up Pact is all about! So exciting!

Thank You NetGalley and Wednesday Books for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

This was a cute, childhood friends to lovers YA romcom with beautiful prose and heartfelt messages. Tom and Riley were friends from the age of 8, from both of their single moms connecting and forming a friendship, until Tom and his mom moved to NYC before their freshman year. Tom did not keep in touch as much as Riley had hoped, but they still considered each other their best friends. Upon graduation, Riley decided on a whim to visit Tom in NYC, where she finds that Tom has had a very lonely past four years.

Tom and Riley determine to follow the Getway List they compiled years before, bringing in more friends along the way, and soon Riley decides to stay for the summer. <spoiler>This causes contention with her mom, and Riley comes to learn that Tom has been neglected by his mom for quite awhile. They keep each other in the friend zone but very soon Riley realizes that she loves Tom as more. When he reveals that he was planning to move away from NYC before Riley arrived, she feels that she needs to let him go so he can figure out how to find happiness on his own, and not be the only reason he stays. Of course, the friends rally and feelings are revealed, and they do find happiness in the end. </spoiler>

As a mom myself, I read these books differently than I would have as a newly-graduated 18 year old. Looking back, I would have loved a story that encouraged me to spread my wings and find happiness for myself, outside of any relationships, family or otherwise. Now, I hope that I can find some inspiration on how to guide my children into that.

This was well written and should have been a fast read, but some of the descriptions were so wordy I found myself having to go back and reread sentences to understand them fully. I enjoyed it overall and would recommend it to anyone who loves coming of age stories with found family and a little bit of romance.