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Member Reviews

Emma Lord, back at it again with another comfort read.

While I’ve pretty much aged out of YA, Lord has a way of bringing me back to my younger years in such a visceral way.

Riley, Tom, and friends were such a fun group and I found myself immersed in all their New York adventures. The romance between the characters was sweet and not overdone. I really felt like Riley was living the dream of most small town high school kids.

Lord really hit the mark on describing the feelings of someone entering adulthood without a true sense of direction. This book was smart, fun and sent me back to my early adult years.

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I love Emma Lord's books so when I saw this one on NetGalley I knew I had to review it. This book was a very sweet and fun summer romance. I loved the whole premise of the Getaway List and completing it. I also really enjoyed all of the relationships in this book specifically the friend group and Riley and her mom's relationship. The only thing I will say is there were some points where I felt like the story was dragging and I wished it would speed up. Overall another fantastic book by Emma Lord!

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This was absolutely darling and perfect for fans of Emily Henry searching for their next sweet romance! "The Getaway List" was the absolute perfect romance I was looking for, it had all the warm feels and was just so wonderful. I actually read it again right after I finished it because I loved it that much. If you love contemporary romance, if you are craving the 'will-they'won't-they', if you enjoy adorable characters finding their way to love, then this book should be on your list to read for it! I loved everything about this book, and highly recommend it!

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Emma Lord never disappoints! I loved this heartfelt story about friends coming back together. I felt immersed in the setting and was loving the concept of a list of fun things to get through together. I would definitely recommend this to friends and had a great time reading!

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To be fair, I started this just before I got sick and was barely able to read for days. However, I enjoyed the friendships, the angst between Riley and Tom, and the fun New York dessert scene. While I felt this one dragged on a bit and I admit to skimming the last 30%, Emma Lord is hands down an automatic read for me and I am looking forward to her adult debut!

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Emma Lord's The Getaway List is a delightful and heartwarming story that effortlessly weaves together self-discovery, rekindled friendship, and unexpected romance. This book is a breath of fresh air, leaving you with a smile on your face and a yearning for your own adventure.

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This book was so sweet and heartfelt, I loved it. With New York City almost serving as a character itself, the setting and this group of teens finding their way in the world was a perfect recipe.

I loved Riley and Tom’s friendship, even before it developed beyond that. It was so strong, even with long distance and years without seeing each other in person. They had a true bond that felt like it really could withstand anything life might throw at it. The gentle growth of their love was heartwarming.

I loved Riley’s relationship with her mom. They struggled and it felt truthful to what a relationship between a mom and a teenage daughter, where they most definitely disagreed and had misunderstandings that created hurt and strife. It was obvious though that Riley’s mom would always be there for her daughter, no matter what. Riley knew it already, but it was moving to see the reality of the security and depth of that being driven home for her during her summer with Tom who was facing the lasting issues of not having that relationship with his mom.

I loved the entire friend group as well. It’s easy to be transported back to that age and knowing so many changes were coming as everyone heads off in new directions. The pressure of feeling the expectation to have a path for your life figured out at 18. Learning how to navigate and hang onto the things that matter while allowing space for growth. I felt all of that here and was so endeared to this group of teens.

This book brought the emotions with a lightness that didn’t downplay the real challenges being faced. It was a joy to read.

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The moment I started reading this book, I took a huge sigh of contentment. I adore Emma Lord's books, her writing, the relationships, the banter, and the references. In typical Emma Lord fashion, we're given Taylor Swift, baked goods, and New York City. Those BROWNIES. I need them.

I love this take on what happens after graduation. This time in someone's life is up in the air, the world is open, it's (hopefully) magical, and we follow Riley to New York where she assembles an adorable friend group, each dealing with their own thing. Each character brings their own puzzle piece to the group and I enjoyed the dynamics.
I'm a big sucker for friends who haven't seen each other in years and finally reunite and things have changed - they're attracted to each other and don't know if their crush is returned, and of course, there's always some obstacle :P
It was fun taking a journey with them on their Getaway List and I enjoyed the added mystery of the 'Dear, Love' gifts. As a writer, I enjoyed Riley & Luca's creative stories and writing journey. & I'm glad we got an epilogue to see where everyone ended up.

Such a fun, enjoyable read!

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I love Emma Lord's previous books so I was excited to read another book by her. I was not disappointed. The Getaway List is about a teenage girl who just graduated high school who travels to New York and reconnect with her best friend that moved away. This goal is to complete the getaway list - a list they made of things they wanted to do together since Tom moved.

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Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (5/5 stars)

Emma Lord's The Getaway List is a delightful and heartwarming story that effortlessly weaves together self-discovery, rekindled friendship, and unexpected romance. This book is a breath of fresh air, leaving you with a smile on your face and a yearning for your own adventure.

The story follows Riley, a young woman who realizes she has lost herself in the pursuit of being the "Good Kid" for her mother, and in the process, has forgotten what she truly desires in life. The remedy? A summer getaway to New York with her childhood best friend, Tom, who is also the co-creator of "The Getaway List," a compilation of their dream adventures. This journey of rediscovery promises to help Riley reconnect with her adventurous spirit and set her on a new path.

What makes this book so captivating is the authenticity of its characters. Riley and Tom's reconnection feels effortless, reminding us of the pure and genuine bonds of childhood friendships.

Personally, I found myself laughing, shedding tears, and falling in love with all of the characters as they navigated their respective journeys. It touched my heart and resonated with my own coming-of-age experiences, inspiring me to plan an adventure of my own - here I come Boston!!

If you enjoyed Happy Place by Emily Henry, you'll undoubtedly love The Getaway List. Emma Lord's talent for character development and her handling of the friends-to-lovers trope are simply exceptional. I can't wait to take this book with me on my own adventures, just as Riley and Tom did with their list.

In summary, The Getaway List is a must-read for anyone seeking a heartwarming, romantic, and inspiring tale of self-discovery and the enduring power of friendship. Emma Lord has crafted a truly exceptional story that will leave you feeling uplifted and ready to embark on your next adventure, whether it's on the page or in the real world.
So so grateful to NetGalley and St Martin's Press for allowing me to read an Advanced Readers Copy in exchange for my honest opinions. This was my first Emma Lord read and it most definitely is not my last!

Follow my own coming of age adventure on Instagram! Seriously this book really has inspired me and I am also so grateful for the beautiful friends I have in my life. Okay that's enough, gonna go happy cry now!

https://instagram.com/book.ishbaker?igshid=NzZlODBkYWE4Ng==

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I adored everything about this book. It made me want to drop everything and impulsively move to New York without a plan. The characters are so lovable and reading about felt like spending time with old friends. Emma Lord has a particular talent for creating a cast of characters bursting with love and life and utter warmth. I’ve already had the book on pre-order for weeks and can’t wait to give it another read when it arrives next year.

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I don't know how, but Emma Lord is the queen of writing teenage drama in a way that is realistic, relatable, and heart-rending.

The Getaway List is the story of Riley. Well, really it's the story of Riley and Tom, even though the two haven't seen each in other in person in several years. But even that's not enough to keep them apart when Riley, having been rejected from every college to which she's applied, escapes to NYC to visit her best friend and finish their Getaway List. But New York isn't what Riley expected, and her relationship with Tom has changed for both better and worse, making Riley question how she's viewed the past and what she has planned for the future.

TGL is a story of many things that will make younger readers say, "I feel like this," and older readers remember exactly how it felt to feel that way. Tackling topics ranging from gaining independence, parent-child disconnect, new friendships, old friendships that have changed, and finding yourself without defining your life in regard to others, Riley and Tom's story is full of moments that will make readers tear up, squeal in delight, and laugh out loud. (Seriously, the scene where Luca is trying to be professional and accidentally ties his apron to a chair, resulting in him knocking over a vat of edible glitter and glitzing everyone made me cackle.) The relationships are gold, and the importance of honesty and sharing when things are hard is a lesson many people need to take to heart. Add to that an awesome to-do list that takes readers all around NYC, and you've got another hit from Lord.

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Thank you so much to St. Martins Press/Wednesday Books for the ARC!
Anything from Emma Lord is an automatic read for me and this book just continued to prove my point. The slow burn romances Emma writes are always so well done. The found family trope in this story was so sweet, and I loved that it wasn't just Riley that grew to have a found family but Tom as well who, until Riley got to New York, hadn't really been that social or had many friends. I loved seeing both of them grow as individuals over the summer but also the change in their relationship from friends to lovers. The adventures they go on with each other and their friends throughout the summer are so much fun to read about and help bring the characters out of their shells. Such a sweet story that I will definitely be reading again.

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Emma Lord delivers a true love letter to New York City in this charming coming of age book about discovering who you are. A fun book that makes you wish you were there with them. Lord delivers a touching story about the highs, lows, triumphs, mishaps, rebellious, experimental parts of being eighteen that every teenager should read. She delivers.a mother/daughter relationship that has you calling up your own mom to just catch up. Lord gives a beautiful and chaotic relationship that is truly in the friends to lovers hall of fame.

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High school fiction at its finest! I think this is such an adorably cute young adult book chocked full of all the teen angst they face in a fun way. I loved how it addressed issues teens face in an engaging way.

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4 stars – I love Emma Lord books! This book is no exception. We learn about Tom and Riley and their long-distance friendship. This is such a good story – all about coming to NYC, growing up and learning to make decisions for yourself. The characters are very likeable and the group dynamics are solid. You can’t help but love them all.

A big “Thank You” to NetGalley, Wednesday Books and Emma Lord for allowing me to read an advance copy in return for an independent, honest review.

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emma lord never disappoints! i was so happy when i received this arc in my inbox because emma is very quickly becoming one of my favourite authors and this book was no exception! i loved it so much, the characters were great, it was a fun little found family <3 the adventures around new york made me feel like i was actually there, which i've never been there so i loved being able to read about exploring the city :) although one thing that bugged me was after a certain amount, i DID start to notice that the word "lawless" was used so many times ahahaha like me vs never having heard this word used in my life to suddenly it's in a book like 20 times lolz i guess that was just riley's fav word to, think? ahaha

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First of all, thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance copy of The Getaway List! Honestly, there isn't much Emma Lord does that I don't enjoy. The Getaway List looks like a light and frothy summer romance book, but under the surface, there is so much more about shifting relationships, finding yourself, and making the decisions that are going to benefit you in the long run. Though I knew where we were headed, the whole point of the story is the getting there, and there were some twists along the way that I wasn't expecting. And just as in Tweet Cute, I truly wish I could sample the foods that this gang enjoys!

Overall, a fun romp that makes the reader think. Highly recommend.

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Emma Lord is the president of Young Adult rom-coms! This novel is a treat. I would have devoured it as a teenager and loved it as an adult. This book has friendship, adventure, emotional depth and a full cast of fun and interesting characters. It’s a true YA, very clean, somewhat unrealistic at times, but a delight to read!

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A delightfully escapist romp of a romance with lots of fun, adventure, and friends.

Is there truly anything more fun than curling up with an Emma Lord book? Her novels are like holding a ray of sunshine—sweet, swoony sunshine. The Getaway List is no exception, an absolute delight from beginning to end. This is the perfect read for anyone who’s ever felt lost in their own lives (so everyone.)

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