The Getaway List is a sweet story about friendship and self-discovery. A perfect read for those late in high school on the precipice of something new.

Dear Emma Lord - if you write it, I will read it. I would even read your grocery list.

Narrator thoughts - I love Norma Butikofer and the way she tells a story. She's a delight to listen to and really brings the emotion to the story.

As for the book - I just wanted to give Riley and Tom both a huge hug. I loved their friendship, their chemistry, the idea of a Getaway List and even more, I loved that they both have huge hearts. I love how we truly got to experience New York through Emma's writing and Riley's adventures around the Big City. I love how she's on a mission to find herself, while still trying to hold onto those that are important. Also - the FOOD. I can never get enough of how much that food is involved in all of Emma's books. The found family & relationships were felt so strongly in this book.

Overall, this is another brilliant story, but also showed just how much that Emma is growing as a writer. It will not beat Tweet Cute as my favorite EL book, but it's taken second place.

I highly recommend Emma Lord to all fans of YA who wear their heart on their sleeve.

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillian Audio for the ALC in exchange for my honest review.

The Getaway List was my second book by Emma Lord, my first being Begin Again. I loved Begin Again so I was very excited to start The Getaway List.

The story follows Riley who has always done everything her mom wanted. She was in every program you could think of to appease her mom. Her best friend Tom moved to New York and Riley decides against her mom’s wishes that she is going to go to NY to see Tom.

You learn a lot about Riley and her mom on this journey. Riley’s mom had her when she was young and is worried that Riley will make some similar mistakes. Riley is going through a lot of soul-searching and is just so unsure of herself. When she is Tom she seems to know exactly who she is.

The supporting characters around Riley and Tom were truly special. I felt the same way when reading her other novel Begin Again. This was when I started to realize just how similar they are. Once I noticed how similar the two were I couldn’t stop spotting similarities. This was a great story even with all the similarities, I just wish It was different from her other novel.

This is my favorite Emma Lord book so far. She has outdone herself. I was instantly sucked into this read when Riley decides right after her graduation to head to NYC to visit her best friend, Tom, who she hasn't seen in years. What was supposed to be a weekend trip turns into a summer in the city.

There are so many things to love about this book. First, is the friendship between Riley and Tom. I loved their communication and how easy and free they were with one another. This may be the perfect YA romance. I wanted them to be together in the end but was not sure if they would be. Second, we have found family. This is an absolute favorite trope of mine. Lord does this so well. Getting to know Mariella, Jesse, and Luca was such a delight. These weren't just some supportive side characters. They were fully formed people with stories of their own. Then there is the relationship between mother and a coming of age child and what that looks like. I really appreciated this aspect of the book. Finally, the setting of NYC is perfection. Getting to travel around the city with this crew simply made an amazing reading experience that much better.

The audio version of this book is super well done. The narrator captures Riley and her gang flawlessly. The banter flowed. i felt like I was in the same room as the characters.

In short, I loved every aspect of this book. The themes around finding your way, who you are, and who you want to be are so very well done. I binged this book and highly recommend you do as well.

This was a GREAT story to listen to! AWESOME narration! Great main characters. The plot was easy to find. The story was engaging and easy to follow. Will be purchasing this book. Shout out to Netgalley and publishing for allowing me to listen and review this story.

4 STARS!

Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for th chance to listen to Emma Lord’s THE GETAWAY LIST! As always, this story stands out due to Lord’s perceptive characterization….I liked this book a lot (though admittedly not as much as her previous ones). The plot felt a little slow, when the tension between the characters felt so ripe. I think this also perfectly captures the anxiety about not knowing what to do about your next step in life—relatable at any age.

Onto the narration… I loved it! It was a surprise to find out I actually went to high school with the excellent narrator, what a treat. Great voice work and emotion, which made this an enjoyable listening experience.

I almost gave up on this book because Riley’s immaturity was exasperating, but then I reframed my expectation since this is YA and powered through. That said I still found her annoying rather than charming and the situations as privileged rather than character building. Reading this story felt tedious.

I think Tom is actually a more dynamic and interesting character and would have been more interested in his point of view.

The one thing really well done was the narrator and the production of this as an audiobook.

The Getaway List is my fifth Emma Lord book, and unfortunately I just don’t find myself connecting with her stories or characters anymore. Riley, eighteen and fresh out of high school, is struggling under the constant pressure her mother puts on her and decides to up and leave for New York City for the summer, reconciling with her best friend Tom who had moved away a few summers back. Throughout the story, they pick up a ragtag group of friends and embark on the “Getaway List”, which is comprised of all of the things that Riley and Tom missed out on doing together in the years they had been separated.

Overall, I just didn’t feel like this story went anywhere. I never quite understood the connection that Riley and Tom had to each other so their romance did not land well for me. There was also quite a bit of miscommunication involved throughout the story, and it was a bit more infuriating when coming from a 17/18 year old who thinks she has the whole world figured out — like, you think you’re mature enough to do all of these things but you don’t even know how to express your feelings and communicate with the people you’ve known the deepest and the longest?

I did enjoy some of the humor and found family moments in the book and it was a quick and easy read, but it definitely is not one of my favorite Emma Lord books. I am, however, very curious to see how she fares in the adult romance book with her new release later in 2024.

Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to listen to this book in exchange for my honest review.

The Getaway List was a great listen. We follow Tom and Rileys friendship. They have been friends since they were kids and have always been inseparable! Until Tom moved away. When Riley is 18 she decides to visit Tom in New York because she had to escape. Her and her mom have not been on the same page, and that’s something her and Tom always had in common being raised by single mothers.
She shows up on his doorstep and proposes that they complete their getaway list they made. This list comprises all of the things they should have done together, but couldn’t becuase of the distance between them when he moved. This summer is the perfect excuse to knock those items off the list. Will Riley discover who she is and what her path is? Will her and Tom recognize their undeniable chemistry as more than friends?

This was a wonderful self-discovery book that I enjoyed reading even in my 30’s. You also feel like you get to explore New York City with Riley as she gets to know all her new friends.

Wow! I love this! I’ve enjoyed every Emma Lord book I’ve read, but this might be a new favorite. I loved Riley and Tom and tbr found family they create with their friends in the city.

Riley heads to NYC and her best friend after she graduates from high school. She’s listless and not sure what she wants to do with her future. She only plans to spend a weekend with Tom, her best friend who moved away a few years ago, but after that she can’t seem to leave the city and stays for the summer. I loved their adventures, completing the items from the Getaway List and just finding themselves and their place in NYC. I just loved this one. I binged it in just a few hours and I think it’ll stick with me.

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for an advanced audio copy in exchange for my honest review. 3.5 stars. This was likely my second-favorite of Emma Lord, who is definitely an author I gravitate towards but some of her books I consider just “ok.” I am drawn to her books because they are often fun, breezy, and transportive. This novel definitely achieved all those things in my mind. First off I should say that this is a character-driven novel, which are certainly not my favorite over plot-driven. It frustrates me when I read books where not much “happens,” but at the same time, the development of the characters were just OK. I really appreciated the relationships explored throughout, though, especially with her mother, which I thought was really strongly developed for a YA novel when these relationships are not always honestly depicted. I thought the romance, though, was a bit forced and the character of Tom was just kind of “meh.” I am still on the fence about whether I feel like the romance was really necessary to the novel at all. I loved the setting and atmosphere. It was fun and transportive, which was definitely one of the things I loved most about You Have a Match and will inspire me to pick up another one of Emma Lord’s books in the future. I did find some aspects of the story a bit unrealistic for a character her age, but maybe I’m too far removed from the realities of young people nowadays as a 30-something. I thought the narrator’s voice added so much to the story and was a great choice. I really enjoyed reading it through audiobook. A fun read to get me excited about new audiobooks in 2024!

Emma Lord has easily become one of my favorite authors! I wish I had these books when I was in high school and college. That said, as an almost 30 something female, I still enjoy them!

She's the YA version of Emily Henry writing excellent romance novels with touches of real shit, hard moments and life lessons. This one had a bit more identity finding and soul searching than others and read a bit more adult than some of her previous novels. There was no spice which is totally fine (its YA after all) but it still read a bit more adult.

She writes incredible characters and Riley and Tom are no exception. Their friend group is also a stand out and I really appreciate that Emma Lord writes a strong cast of side kick characters who have their own struggles and depth to them.

I loved everything about this book and can't say enough good things about the author!

Thanks, NetGalley and Minotaur, for the gifted ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A light and easy coming of age novel full of teenage struggle with parents, friendships, and futures. The novel is a good one, an easy one to read and to listen to audiobook style. The narrator is well chosen although has a rather mature voice for the characters she is portraying. In fact, the entire novel is written in a pretty mature voice, as if it is being written from the perspective of someone ten or twenty years removed from the main characters. That is the only reason I am giving it four stars. There's enough drama to move the story but not enough to make you break out in zits like you are once again 18 yourself. It's the perfect book to relax with after a stressful holiday weekend when all you want is to disconnect from the real world and sink into an easy read.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an audio copy to listen to in exchange for an honest review.

Emma Lord is such an amazing author, especially when it comes to writing rich and real characters. I absolutely love how she depicts the relationship between Riley and her mother. The strong family bond can often be ignored in YA books, but not here. This is a wonderful books about knowing yourself first and foremost. Secondary is the relationships between friends and what having a strong support system means, particularly for young adults.

This is a sweet story about an 18 year old girl named Riley, who has just graduated from high school. She takes a bus to New York on a whim to visit her best friend, Tom, who moved there two years prior. Riley falls in love with New York and decides to stay for the summer, against her mom’s wishes. She makes new friends, has many adventures, and has to determine who she is and what she wants for her future.

This story is perfect for older teens and young adults who can relate to the characters and their need to be independent - while still needing a connection to their parent(s).

While as an adult, I found the book to be a bit repetitive at times, with overdone teen angst, it fits the audience it was meant for. I have high school students I know would definitely enjoy the novel.

I enjoyed the narrator and the voices she did for each character. She kept the flow of the book smooth and easy to follow. The only difficulty was that there were times I wasn’t sure what was actual dialogue versus what Riley was thinking, but it didn’t end up deterring from the story.

Thank you to #NetGalley and #MacmillanAudio for an audio ARC of #TheGetawayList by #EmmaLord in exchange for honest feedback. - 3.5 stars

4⭐️

Overall I thought this book was a really charming story of new adults finding themselves beyond their parents. Learning independence while finding themselves.

There was a lot more to this story than just the best friends to lovers romance between Riley and Tom. This focuses primarily on Riley as she learns how to
step away from her mothers helicopter style parenting, going out on her own to
New York but it places a strain on their relationship as her mom is worried. I enjoyed this part of the story as we watch Riley learn how to do this while not hurting her mom. I also enjoyed Tom as well as he tries to determine what he wants to do with his future.

The part I struggled with was the romance. I just couldn't connect and found myself invested. There just didn't seem to have chemistry between the two characters and felt a bit out of place.

I really enjoyed the narrator a lot for this young adult story. I thought she did a really great job capturing the characters and bringing them to life. I struggled reading this as a physical copy, but as audio this was perfect.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and MacMillan Audio for this advanced audio copy. My review is voluntarily my own.

THANK YOU MACMILLAN AUDIO AND NETGALLEY FOR THIS AUDIO ARC!!!!

1) I pledge my grilled cheese loving heart to Emma Lord right now.
2) Norma Butikofer did a spectacular job performing this masterpiece.
3) I caught so many more Taylor references listening to the audio than I did when reading the eARC.
4) Riley and Tom are precious and must be protected at all costs.
5) Emma Lord’s sweet tooth is unparalleled.

Sometimes you need a wholesome YA and Emma Lord always delivers!
The way I screamed when I heard about The Getaway List!!!

💛💛💛

In this coming of age story Riley is trying to find herself and not what her mom wants her to be. After graduation she packs her bags and heads to the Big Apple for the summer, where she plans on staying with her childhood friend Tom which leads them down the path of The Getaway List… a list they created when Tom moved away with hopes of discovering herself again!

I don’t know how Emma does it but in all of her books she creates such a fun setting and cast of characters that I just eat up! Get ready for adventure, romance and joy. A treat for the YA genre! Thanks for writing such heartfelt books my 38 year old self can still enjoy!

Thank you Wednesday Books and Macmillan Audio for the ALC

4.25⭐️

The Getaway List is a wonderful, sweet YA story that centers around Riley. Riley has just graduated from high school and has no idea what her future holds. All she really knows is that she’s spent the last four years miserable, doing everything to try to gain her mother’s trust and approval, while setting her own needs and personality aside. And she also misses her best friend, Tom, who moved away at the start of that dark period, and who she feels further and further removed from even as she needs him more.

Then Riley realizes, what’s really stopping her from going to visit him? She’s done with school, she’s an adult now, she has no plans at the moment, why not take advantage of that fact? And so she does, beginning a delightful journey to reclaiming her agency and her sense of adventure, building new friendships and strengthening old relationships along the way to finding herself at last.

This was such a lovely and enjoyable story and the characters were impossible not to root for. A heartwarming tale that left me hoping Emma Lord will revisit these delightful characters in the future.

Norma Butikofer did a fantastic job narrating the audiobook.

Thank you Emma Lord, St. Martin's Press, Wednesday Books, Macmillan Audio, and NetGalley for providing this ARC for review consideration. All opinions expressed are my own.

4.5 ⭐

another delightful read by Emma Lord!

I just love how fluffy and sweet Emma's books are, sometimes I just want to read a book that will make my kick my feet in glee.

I love the NYC setting, it's one of my favorite places to read about. I really enjoyed the characters, and the plot! It has found family and bucket list (or should I say getaway list) vibes. How I long to be a rich 18 year old wandering through NYC with a group of friends 🥲

some conflicts could have been solved with communication but I remember being 18 and being the worst communicator in the world so I would say it was pretty realistic.