If dreams don’t work unless you do, then all of Riley’s should come true. Only problem: Riley isn’t sure what her dream even is.

Growing up with a single mom, a jam-packed schedule, and a best friend named Tom, who moves to New York when they’re barely freshman, Riley graduates high school without a college acceptance or a plan on the horizon.

Enter: the Getaway List.

Created as a list of dreams for her and Tom to do if they ever reunite, the Getaway List becomes the catalyst for Riley and Tom to reconnect in the city of dreams.

What Riley finds ends up being better than she could’ve imagined.

The Getaway List is Lord’s fifth novel and I am convinced it is her best yet. Lord effortlessly balances the themes of identity, growing up, and complicated relationships without ever being preachy and the character voices leap off the page. Riley and Tom’s chemistry is ELECTRIFYING with their inner worlds and personalities being just as compelling as their (inevitable) romance. Even better, the side characters and B plots with those side characters reads naturally, the interconnected layers between each of them in all their messy, romantic glory never one devolving into the cliche or saccharine. Something I always appreciate about Lord’s work is the deliberate but mindful showcase of representation and with a plot set in New York City, Lord masterfully connects her cast and the MCs together with the city they’re made in.

A love letter to New York and also to growing up, The Getaway List would be the perfect read to anyone wanting to capture the magic of summer and all the possibilities it can hold.

First of all, thank you so much to Wednesday Books for sending me an advanced e-copy of The Getaway List. I gasped when it popped into my email earlier this week and started it almost immediately!

Second of all, very excited for you all to meet my new favourite Emma Lord YA romance. I absolutely ADORED this book. It's a love letter to New York City, a beautiful coming-of-age and growing up and learning how to make decisions for yourself. Some of the choices Riley made near the beginning of the book may feel questionable, but honestly, I hope that when my kids are old enough, they'll feel confident making hard choices for themselves with the knowledge that I will always love and support them (even if I would do something different or don't really understand) - like Riley and her mom.

I loved Tom and Riley's relationship. A best friendship that fell into love both gradually and all at once. And the group of friends!! Their adventures through NYC were such a highlight. It made me want to travel to New York and retrace their footsteps, just like they did with their favourite fantasy series.

This book was such a highlight and I am so sad I have to wait until January to have a physical copy in my hands!

Another delightful romantic YA from Emma Lord, which keeps the focus on the kids, but doesn't neglect to permit the adults to be human beings, in this case the single mom of Riley, who has no idea what to do with her life now that she's eighteen and out of high school--and was rejected by all ten colleges she applied to. Which doesn't bother her, because . . . what should she do with her life?

Except connect with Tom, her best friend from childhood, of course. Who lives in New York.

So Riley hops on a bus, in the teeth of her mother's displeasure, and goes to surprise Tom.

Thus spins out another emotional whirlwind that Lord does so well. I really connected with that weird sense of still being a kid, but knowing that adulthood is out there, but where does one fit into it? At the same time, having a longtime trusted friend, who...might actually be something a whole lot closer?

How Riley and Tom negotiate these emotions, along with their friends (all of whom are delightful) is such a fun book. There's a lot of wish-fulfillment in the young adults wild success, but Lord doesn't stint on the hard work it takes to get there. Meanwhile, plenty of hilarious one-liners, as to be expected, and also, I realized with this book, tons of descriptions of um...let us say, creative amounts of sugar and fast food.

I had to chuckle when I realized that. Probably that's the greatest bit of wish-fulfillment, as you'd think anyone living on the diet she lovingly described would fast be on the road to gastrointestinal volcanic two-step.

I look forward to her next!

So excited for the opportunity to read the advance review copy of The Getaway List!

This is only my second Emma Lord read; I'd rate Begin Again a bit higher than The Getaway List.

High school senior Riley fails to get into any colleges in which she applied. Her best friend moved to NYC 4 years ago and they have seen each other since. There is a bit of falling out between Riley and her mom, so Riley is on the next bus to NYC and lands on her (male) best friend's door step.

Being so young in NYC would be completely magical and soon Riley has a new group of friends.

This really is a lovely story; in some ways it bothered me that too many things fell into place.

For all those who love Emma Lord, you are sure to love this one as well!

Thank you Alexis and the team at St. Martin's Press & Wednesday Books. Thank you to author Emma Lord, I loved how you incorporated young writers into this novel! Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to review the advance read copy of The Getaway List in exchange for an honest review.

I especially liked the last 3 chapters and Epilogue.

Emma Lord is the queen of sweet YA romance. “The Getaway List” is going to be a a fan favorite for anyone who loves Emma’s work!

I love Emma Lord books, and this one may be my favorite. Riley graduates high school and makes a spontaneous decision to visit her best friend, Tom, in New York City - and ends up staying. Of course the book is romantic and sweet (literally, they eat so many pop tarts). And of course the book is adventurous and full of antics. But also, of course, Riley and Tom and their ragtag bunch of friends are all caring and kind people looking out for each other as they try to find their way.

This book felt like holding something precious, reclaiming those teenage summers where anything feels possible because you don’t know who you are yet. It’s a joy.

Emma Lord’s books are THE ABSOLUTE BEST! I love everything she writes. I’m 30 and her books are great for teens and adults. I highly recommend this newest one!

This book reminded me exactly why I love Emma Lord's books. They never fail to make me smile and laugh, it's that feeling of basking in the heartwarming bliss of a good book.

Rejected by all the colleges that she applied too, Riley is left with absolutely no clue on what she must do after high school. Much to her mom's dismay, Riley sets out on unmitigated chaos, also known as spontaneously booking a train to New York and hopefully reconnecting with her childhood best friend Tom, who has been very quiet and sporadic in his communication lately. Once in New York, Riley and Tom fall right back into their bantering and teasing friendship, as if no time was lost between them. They decide to finally check off all the items on their Getaway List. Throughout all of this unmitigated chaos, Riley learns to find her choice in her life and what it means to love.

The Getaway List is another five star book from Emma Lord! I loved everything about it, from the little trips around New York to the heart to heart conversations that Riley has with all her friends and her mom. It has that nostalgic vibe of growing up and not knowing what to do, but it makes you feel like everything is okay, because everyone is going through it. It is such a delightful childhood best friend to lover read, and anyone who loves that trope will surely love this story. There is so much lovely detail that all ties together, like the astronomy references throughout the book was so pretty to read. This book makes you want to get up and be creative and brave!

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press/Wednesday Books for sending me an e-arc of this book for an honest review!

This is going to be the saddest review I’ve ever written.

I didn’t love an Emma Lord story. It’s well written, and I’m sure people will love it. But I didn’t connect with the characters or the story. This very much felt like an ode to New York, which is fine, but that didn’t do much for me. It somehow felt kind of scattered too?
I appreciate the friendships though!
I truly think others will love this. Lord will still be an automatic buy for me and I’ll love her work regardless.

Everything that Emma Lord writes is amazing and this is no exception. I won’t share much about plot , since I think they’re best discovered on your own, but this book managed to perfectly balance interesting character developments for both main and romance the whole way through. If you need a YA romance pick me up, I highly recommend this one!

A special thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press & Wednesday Books for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.