Thanks so much to Emma Lord, Wednesday Books, and NetGalley for my ARC of this book (specific thanks to Alexis at Wednesday Books for always dropping my next favorite reads into my inbox). All opinions are my own.

I’m not entirely sure why this book is getting the ratings it does, but let me just add: I frickin loved it.

I saw so much of myself in Riley and I loved watching her live her dreams for herself. I loved the idea of The Getaway List and that we got to see it come to life - literally - in this story.

The romance was so fun and I cannot wait to see what Emma has in store for us in her upcoming adult release this year 👀

This will be a book my students can relate to as they start thinking about their futures and how they want to spread their wings. Emma Lord has a way of writing characters that the reader can connect to and want to root for, and Riley, Tom, and the rest of the crew are no exception. Just enough of rom-com tropes that feed the storyline without being all in, which is often a fine line that is hard to balance. Pick this one up today!

Riley just graduated high school and is FINALLY going to visit her childhood best friend, Tom, in NYC. What started as a “just for the weekend” trip turns into a summer long adventure throughout NYC complete with a checklist/scavenger hunt of sorts and a found family of sweet young adults.

I loved this one and definitely felt my love for NYC come alive throughout. I am so glad the book focused on both the romance and the found family aspects. And you KNOW how much I love a good friends to lovers story…

Emma Lord always gets it right. This one comes in just behind Tweet Cute, the highest honor I can bestow.

Okay, I’ve figured out my new favorite combination of tropes: found family, summer in NYC, a list, a secret admirer, and friends to lovers (especially when the friend is an overly tall space and time travel nerd). The Getaway List had all of my favorite things!! It was such a fun romp through New York City filled with friendship and adventure and nerdiness.

The only negative at all for me was Riley whining about her mom not connecting with her. Girl, you have a phone. Use it! She had a bit of a victim mentality and it got old pretty quickly.

Overall: Emma Lord’s books are all SOLID reads! If you’re looking for a cutesy goofy YA rom com, her books are always a great choice. ❤️

The Get Away List is a light coming of age story about Riley and Tom who were best friends since they were little. Riley just graduated Highschool and has no idea what she wants to do next. Tom lives in NYC and thought of doing a gap year. Both teens have a GET AWAY LIST that they made back when they were younger and now is the perfect time to get it done!

What I enjoyed most in this book was the friendship that Riley and Tom shared. The cute banter, the unique list they made, the comfort with each other. I also love that this book is a tribute to New York City and all of its charm, the rush, the, the big lights and the dark alleys. I felt like another tourist that is getting to know the city like a local.

Even with all that cuteness, this book feel just okay to me. Unfortunately, I only like it enough to finish but I do not love it like the previous Emma Lord books that I have read. There are redundancy to the story, Riley’s character did not develop when the end came as she did not mature. I listen to the audiobook as well and I think it helped as it made the character alive. However, it is light, its cute and a fun fast read that makes you fall in love with New York City!

Thank you Wednesday books via Netgalley, MacMillan Audio for the complimentary copies in exchange of my honest review.

I forgot to leave a review for this, but I really enjoyed it! It's been out for ages, so I won't say much more than I need to for my star rating. <3

I’ve loved all of Emma Lord’s books so I was excited to read The Getaway List, a new YA novel coming out January 23rd. Riley is graduating from high school and didn’t get into any of the schools she applied for but even though she is a little low, she is really ready for adventure. She decides to go to New York City to see Tom, her best friend who moved away to Manhattan with his famous Indie director/screenwriter mom after Freshman year in high school. Riley and Tom decide to do the adventures on a Getaway List (bucket list) that they wrote together.

I admired Riley for getting on the bus to go to NYC to see Tom and find herself along the way. (her mom didn't want her to go.) There is a fun group of friends and of course, the adventures. Their first adventure is a free interactive writing class where they go to different locations and it sounded so cool, that now I want to do one. There's star gazing, a road trip and much more. The author’s descriptions of food are epic and made me hungry. I remember that happening in Lord’s book, Begin Again with all of the fun ice cream flavors. In this book there's Brownie Bonanza (with different toppings). Riley is inspired by their adventures and begins writing short stories and dreams of writing a book.

I think this is Emma Lord’s love story to New York City and I haven’t been there so I was living vicariously though her characters, which was fun but I didn’t connect as much with this one as I have with her other books, which I’ve loved. It is a YA and I recommend it to YA readers who would like a coming of age stories with adventures in NYC. Thank you to Wednesday books, NetGalley and the author for the ARC.

I have enjoyed everything I’ve read by Emma Lord, and this book is definitely no different!

The interplay of relationships throughout this story is perfect, from the two main characters, Riley and Tom, to all of the assorted side characters.

The story is told from Riley’s POV and I loved the insight into her sense of self, and her determination to live her own life and not let her mother dictate the course she should choose. Riley’s sense of adventure is infectious and I love that she surrounds herself with people who make her feel safe enough to explore.

Tom, on the other hand, was a little more closed off. No matter how much he cares about Riley, he’s felt really alone over the years without her. He did his best to hide his feelings while adventuring with Riley and their friends, but ultimately the abandonment he felt from his mother really got to him.

The friend group is amazing and truly a found family! The relationships between each of them with Riley and Tom, and with each other, speaks to true friendship, whether they just met or have known each other for years. I loved the dynamics between all of them and how they lifted each other up, pushed them to chase their dreams, and provided support.

A brief mention to the moms. I initially did not like Riley’s mom and felt she was way too controlling and not supportive of Riley. I’m happy to say that she ultimately redeemed herself for me. Tom’s mom, on the other hand, was terrible! No one should ever put their work ahead of the people they love or make a child feel so lost and alone, no matter how old they are.

Overall this book was a treat and I look forward to many more from this author in future!

Disclaimer: I received a DRC through Net Galley on behalf of the publisher for review consideration. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

The Getaway List tells the story of graduating senior, Riley. She decides to go to New York to visit her best friend who she was kind of estranged from but wants to make things right. What was supposed to be just a weekend trip turns into a summer adventure of completing items from The Getaway List that Riley and Tom created when they were younger. They create their own little tribe of friends and begin on the list. It was nice to see the book come full circle with both kids and their moms,

2.5 STARS
I have enjoyed several books from this author and was thrilled to read her latest. Sadly, this was a disappointment. Riley was newly graduated, coming of age, etc but she behaved like a spoiled toddler, especially toward her mom. There was supposed to this deep connection between Riley and Tom, but little came through in the book. Not even the NYC setting could save this one for me.

I love a fellow fanfic writing queen.

This book was cute and fun to read. I enjoyed the little adventures and the friendship .. it’s quite the cute quick read!

Thank you, Netgalley, for the ARC!

This coming of age friends to lovers ya romance was adorable. This story follows Riley a rebellious teenager who after graduation decides to visit her best friend Tom in NYC. Riley’s mom is not enthused about it causing them to fight. After spending the weekend with Tom she decides to stay the summer to help Tom overcome something he’s hiding and to find herself. We follow the two with their group of friends as they try to complete a bucket list of things they wanted to do after high school but while trying to complete the list the two are finding feelings for each other.

This was such a cute ya romance which is true of every Emma Lord book and why she has become one of my must read authors. The writing was cute easy to follow and fast paced. I really enjoyed the side characters in this book and really enjoyed the friend group dynamic. The plot left me wanting to know what happens next and I think it was really well done every teenager dreams of going to NYC. I really enjoy how this isn’t just another romance there are so many other relationships and issues throughout this that it felt more women’s fiction. This is similar to other Emma Lord books so if you like her others you will love this one as well. If you’re new to Emma Lord please give her a try! I would like to thank NetGalley and the publishers for a chance to read this book for an honest review.

Thank you so much @WednesdayBooks for giving me this ARC in exchange for my honest and unbiased review (Release Date | 23 January 2024)

SYNOPSIS | Riley & Tom have been best friends for the majority of their lives, but things change when Tom moves to New York with his mum. It's been years since they've actually seen each other, and because of this they started to create a list of things that they wanted to do together. Recently though, they've hardly been talking. After graduation, Riley decides to take a trip to New York to surprise Tom and rekindle their friendship.

WHAT I LIKED:
- that we get to experience New York through Riley's adventures
- whole cast of loveable side characters
- the character growth of both Riley & Tom
- the author has such a knack for capturing the essence of what it means to be a young adult finding your way in the world

WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE:
- this story could have benefitted from Tom's POV
- the epilogue tried to pack too many things in

I enjoyed this one but I really do think it might be Emma Lord’s weakest? I don’t want to be inconsiderate but I just didn’t really enjoy the story itself and the characters didn’t really save it for me.

It was cute but it wasn’t anything new or jaw-dropping. It was an easily forgettable read, unfortunately.

I enjoyed this title, though Tweet Cute is still my favorite of Lord’s. This felt a bit more forced than I hoped to find, but still a cute premise overall.

Emma Lord knocked it out of the park with this one. I was captivated from chapter one. This book grabbed me, and held onto me the entire time.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to both read and listen to this title with an eARC and ALC.

This is a charming coming of age, friends to lovers, young adult romance.

Riley and Tom have been inseparable since they met. That is, until circumstance separated them when Tom's mom gets a job in NYC. Without her partner in crime, Riley finds other ways into mischief, which leads her mother scheduling her last two years of high school to death.

Upon graduation, Riley feels free and finally has the time to determine her next move, even if it's not college. What could make more sense than visiting Tom in Manhattan while she parses out her next move?

While there, Riley and Tom try to work through their co-authored Getaway List items. As they check off their bucket list tasks, they collect a group of friends that turn more into family. They also begin to realize, maybe they've always been more than friends.

This story has Emma Lord's signature plucky charm with a charming story of self-discovery and hope. I would recommend this to 14 and up kiddos as it's squeaky clean.

The audiobook took me a while to get into because the narrator has a hint of a New England accent that echoed of Moira Rose at times. It took me out of the story on more than one occasion. That could be a me thing, however.

This was a 3.5 rounded up to 4 stars for me. It wasn't remarkable in that I'd like to reread this and would have made it part of my personality, but I enjoyed it.

The Getaway list was a cute read, however I don't think I was the appropriate age group anymore since it takes place after high school graduation.

I do like the fact that Riley tried to be different from her mother and I liked some of the characters.

This was a two star mostly because I did not finish.

"The Getaway List" by Emma Lord is a delightful and heartwarming contemporary romance that takes readers on a charming journey of self-discovery and love. With engaging characters and a whimsical storyline, Lord crafts a tale that is both entertaining and thought-provoking.

The novel follows the adventures of its protagonist as she embarks on a spontaneous road trip, checking off items from a carefully curated "getaway list." Along the way, she discovers unexpected friendships, confronts her fears, and learns valuable lessons about life and love. Lord's writing is witty and relatable, making it easy to become invested in the characters' journeys.

Overall, "The Getaway List" is a feel-good read that is perfect for fans of contemporary romance. With its endearing characters and uplifting message, it's sure to leave readers with a smile on their faces and a warm feeling in their hearts.