This was so great. I love how so many of Emma's books take place in NYC and/or have something to do with adventures and friendship. They are so great and I adore them. I love the different friends that Riley and Tom make along the way. This was really great. I wanted more of her mom and her relationship being resolved.

I'm a fan of Emma Lord and have read all of her books so far. Unfortunately, I feel like she is in a downward trend. I did not really enjoy Begin Again, and now The Getaway List has proven to be even more disappointing. To start with the few positives, I did appreciate the ways in which this book serves as a love letter to NYC. I also liked the found family aspect with the friend group that Riley pieces together.

Other than that, this book was a huge miss. The plot was really slow and uneventful, and it was a struggle to force myself to actually want to read the book. Friends to lovers is admittedly not my favorite trope, but in The Getaway List this was not executed well at all. The chemistry between Riley and Tom was both obvious and nonexistent. Usually Emma Lord deals with a healthy dose of family issues. Some of her novels execute this better than others, but this one really did not do it well at all. I needed a lot more SHOWING rather than telling me how much friction there was between Riley and her mom. There was so little "meat" to this part of the story so it was nearly impossible for me as a reader to care about their relationship or lackthereof. Same with Tom and his mom, only even moreso! I also did not understand Riley as a character. Initially she was presented as a kind of bad kid who was always in trouble, but that quickly proves to be not true at all once she arrives in NYC. Nothing really made sense or stayed consistent throughout the novel.. Lastly, for this to be marketed as YA, for me, personally, it had way too much language....or basically just "the F-word" a lot.

I want to say I'm still an Emma Lord fan, but I really hope she digs deep in her future novels and presents something more engaging and fresh for her readers.

i’ve read everything emma lord has ever released. ya will always have my heart but i fear i’ve just grown out of ya novels. i will be withholding review until further notice due to the smp boycott

I had a really fun time with this book! It was weird remembering what it felt like to be right out of school, but Emma Lord made the transition easy! This had all of the cute rom-com things in it, exactly what I was looking for! Definitely a great beach read for this year.

I loved pretty much everything about Lord’s latest release. At first, I had trouble empathizing and connecting with Riley. The secondary characters were fun and engaging. I always appreciate how Lord uses the city as a character and setting becomes vital to the story.

A great addition to the "summer in New York City" canon and very romantic. I love how bright this cover is.

I am a huge Emma Lord fan but this one was just not my fave. I just couldn't get over the initial conflict between Riley and her mom. Nothing about it felt realistic -- like if her mom were that controlling and protective she sure as hell wouldn't have let her run away to New York. And Riley just felt incredibly spoiled and entitled. I ended up DNF'ing this one because I just wasn't vibing with Riley, even when she linked up with Tom. I love all of Lord's other work so maybe this was just a right book wrong time situation and I'll might circle back eventually but for now this one wasn't for me!

In the search to reconnect with herself and her dreams, Riley decides visit her best friend Tom in New York for the summer following her high school graduation.

The Getaway List was such a cute and fun book, I absolutely adored the found family in this. This book made me feel happy and fluffy and im here for it, I really love a feel good story and this was that and so much more.

Thank you to netgalley and to the publisher for this!!

This adorable, romantic story absolutely swept me away! I loved the sweet and heartwarming relationship that developed between Riley and Tom. This book will live in my heart for a long, long time!

I enjoyed it - and yet, I think this was my least favorite Emma Lord book - and I devour all of them easily! And, I largely think it is because I listened to it via audio; had I read a physical or digital copy, I think I would have enjoyed it more.

First, there is quite a motley crew of characters - so it can be difficult to keep track of everyone when listening to an audio recording. But overall, there was a lot going on and it all felt a bit flat for me; I just wasn't invested in the story or the characters. We have multiple difficult relationships with parents, a group of friends navigating feelings, relationships, and next steps in life. And delicious sounding brownies (for some reason, this is the scene that stuck with me the most).

Overall, I will still read anything from Emma Lord (and loved her upcoming adult romance!), but this one just wanted my favorite.

The Getaway List by Emma Lord. Pub Date: January 23, 2024. Rating: 3 stars. In this coming of age story, Riley takes an adventure to NYC to see her childhood best friend Tom. Here, they plan to go on adventures as a part of their "Getaway List." Riley is a young teen who is struggling with identity, independence, teenage angst with her relationship with her mother and attraction feelings towards Tom. This book highlights the beautiful experience of NYC as well as teenage feelings we all go through as we are transitioning into adults. I liked this one, but did not love it and felt at times it dragged. Thanks to #netgalley and #stmartinspress for this e-arc in exchange for my honest review.

If you know me, you know that I love, love, love Emma Lord's novels (I'm still fangirling over the time I got to interview her!)! And this book, of course, was no exception. Heart-warming, hilarious, and just so wholesome, THE GETAWAY LIST is yet another example of how Emma Lord shines in the YA world. If you've read any of Emma Lord's books AND if you haven't, definitely pick up this book right away and start the sweet adventure!

(Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Any quotes are taken from an advanced copy and may be subject to change upon final publication.)

The Getaway List by Emma Lord released in January of 2024. I've been putting it off because after completing this, I have no more Emma Lord's to read until 2025. A sad day, indeed...But that day has come. I started the audiobook this morning, because I just couldn't resist anymore and sure enough, I binged it all in one day.

This story is unsurprisingly sweet and cute, full of heart-warming character moments and a #goals Found Family that I wanted to be a part of. I really enjoyed it!

In this story, we meet our MC, Riley, on the day she graduates from high school. She realizes that she's been working so hard the past 4-years, trying to do everything her Mom wants, that she hasn't had any time for herself. She's at a point when her classmates are moving on to their next steps, and she doesn't even know what she wants her next steps to be. It hits her like a truck.

Riley also realizes she misses her best friend, Tom, who moved away years ago to New York City with his Mom, and she needs a chance to reconnect with him. Being with Tom, before he moved, those are the last times she really remembers being able to be herself. She misses him and their easy connection. Needing the freedom to explore options for what the future may have in store for her, Riley plans an impromptu trip to NYC. Sadly, her Mom doesn't support her decision and the two get in a row. Her Mom tells her she can't go.

But Riley's 18-years old, it's time she start making decisions for herself. Even though she's not leaving under the best of circumstances, her mind is made up and off she goes.

The reunion between the two friends is a little uncertain at first. They haven't seen one another in corporeal form in years. Nevertheless, before long, like true friends, it feels like they've never been apart. After a few days, Riley is feeling more like herself than she has in a long, long time. She decides it would be best if she stay for the Summer. She and Tom have begun to check off items from their Getaway List, and it just feels fated.

There's also something else brewing in Riley's mind. What are these butterflies she's getting in her stomach whenever she's with Tom? This is a whole new feeling, one she just may now be ready to explore.

One of the things I love most about Emma Lord's books is the journeys that the characters go on. Her books are very much Contemporary, with Romance being more of a subplot, which works for me. I'm not a heavy Romance Reader and the books I enjoy the most with Romance in them, tend to focus a lot on other things going on in the protagonist's lives other than Romance; such as family or career issues.

This book is truly about self-discovery for Riley. She's lost herself in trying to make her Mom happy, and doing what she needs to do to be the good girl. She's been doing what her Mom wants, but finally comes to a point where she recognizes she needs to start making decisions for herself.

She's at that fantastic crossroads in life, just after high school, where all obligations of childhood are completed, and it's time to start take the first steps into adulthood. The world is literally her oyster. I liked her desire to reconnect with Tom, and I definitely understood her motivations for tracking him down. It was fun watching them reconnect and being along for the ride as their feelings for one another evolved.

My favorite part, however, was the Found Family that Lord created around Riley and Tom. They were both having difficulties with their Moms, and the added support they received from their friends was so needed. There was a line in the book, I didn't flag it, so don't quote me, but it was something along the lines of, 'family isn't who you share blood with, it's who you'll spill blood for'. That hit in a special way with this book.

If those are the kind of vibes you enjoy in your Contemporary stories, you need to check this one out. It delivered all of that and more. The mix of funny, heart-warming moments, with more serious, quieter moments, was beautifully-executed, IMO. Overall, I thought this was such a gratifying story. Lord wrapped everything up in a lovely little bow, and I walk away with a big smile on my face. I'm so happy that I finally made time for this; that I finally caved and read the last Emma Lord book that I have left to read. Emma, I will see you in 2025!!!

Thank you so much to the publisher, Wednesday Books and Macmillan Audio, for providing me with copies to read and review. Clearly, Emma Lord is one of my go-to authors and I cannot wait to pick up more from her.

Her brand of sweet will never get old to me. I eat it up like ice cream with every available topping on it!!

A coming of age story about Riley who just graduated from high school and takes off to visit her best friend Tom who moved to New York City a few years prior and she hasn't seen since. As she and Tom spend time getting to know each other all over again, Riley makes friends in the city and finds people who care about her. Although her mother wants her to come back home she decides to spend the entire summer there so her and Tom can work on their Getaway List-a list they created years ago of thing they wanted to do together.

I always enjoy reading Emma Lord's YA novels and this one did not disappoint. The characters tend to remind me a little of some of myself at that age and always up for adventures. A quick, fun read which would be perfect for the summer.

Thank you to NetGalley and Wendesday Books for the advanced readers copy.

When Riley graduates high school she realizes she doesn't know what o do with her life so she goes to New York to visit her best friend.
Will she find what she's looking for?

This delightful book explores breaking free from parental controls, the importance of a support network, and the necessity of having hard conversations in order to grow. These aren’t themes often found in YA, and I even wondered if it could be a genre-bender and be on the New Adult shelf as well. But like all wonderful books, there are relatable moments, characters, and emotions for any age reader.

This was a super cute and fun read! While I did enjoy Riley and Tom, I did struggle with the YA portion. I couldn't help but cringe a little and get annoyed with the immatureness, but overall I did enjoy the story. I loved their connection and Riley was definitely relatable.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC.

Emma Lord never disappoints. Even though I haven’t been reading as much YA recently, I will always pick up the new Emma Lord. I love that this was set the summer after high school. I also loved the strong emphasis on friendships. It was such a fun summer read and the setting of NYC was perfect. It was also the cutest friends to lovers romance. Riley’s relationship with her mom was such beautiful part of the book that made me cry at the end when they finally got to talk it out. I thought the relationships were complex and well developed, and overall I had such a good time reading this. I will definitely continue to pick up Emma Lord’s books!

Sometimes I'm just in the mood for a good, fun, light hearted YA novel and for that, I always turn to Emma Lord. THE GETAWAY LIST was a very cute story about Riley trying to figure out her life after she graduates high school. She does what all young adults wish they could do and moves to NYC to be near her best friend Tom where they start trying to check things off their "getaway list" they made as kids. I liked the progression of friends to lovers for her and Tom. I also like how Riley's life evolved as she made new friends and followed her passion. This was a really sweet story about finding yourself and I really enjoyed it. I look forward to reading more from Lord.

Unfortunately this was a DNF for me, which makes me so sad because I adore Emma Lord. There wasn't anything specific I can point to for why it didn't work for me, I just found myself not excited to pick it back up. 3 star rating based on what I read before DNFing - I liked it, but not enough to continue.