I am a big fan of Emma Lord and this book was no exception! I loved Riley's New York adventure and all the people she met along the way.

Riley and Tom are one of those couples that you can't help rooting for. I loved that at the beginning of their story Tom helps Riley out of her shell and later she returns the favor. Their inside jokes are beyond adorable and you can't help rooting for them.

One thing that I loved about this book is that I would have happily read a book about any of the side characters as well. While I love reading interconnected standalones where the side characters get their own book, I also love getting to see Riley's friends figure their lives out alongside her.

I particularly connected to Tom's story as I also struggled with fitting in after I moved as a teen. It is easy to blame a city for a bad experience with a person or group of people. In my case, I was going to run away to New York but I also fell in love and was back in the original city within a year and happy to be there.

I highly recommend this story to anyone who likes a YA romance. This one would be suitable for both teens and adults. I think it captures the transition from high school and college and what that feels like particularly well. If you are a big Sarah Dessen fan (like I am) this book will be for you!

🎧🎧🎧🎧🎧-I listened to the audiobook version of this title and really enjoyed it! Norma Butikofer is a new narrator to me but I thought she did a good job with the narration. This book is single pov and single narrator.

🌶️ - This book contains a few kisses.

Sweet and meaningful young adult romance. My favorite Emma Lord so far!

After Riley's high school graduation, she heads straight to NYC to visit her childhood best friend, Tom. They decide to finally check off items on their "getaway list," which is a list of adventures they've wanted to do together since Tom moved away. Their reunion and connection is so sweet from the start, and their growth is supported by eachother in such a gorgeous, healthy way. This story is what I want more of in YA romance!

• The post-highschool "big city" adventure with a group of friends picked up along the way felt very realistic (very similar to the feeling of my early college days in Chicago!)
• The best-friends-first-and-always was lovely and never in doubt. I was glad that neither character had much anxiety over ruining their friendship with romantic feelings. (I don't care whether or not that's realistic!)
• Main and side characters were ALL so loveable.
• The angstiest part of this romcom is the mother-daughter dynamics which were definitely rough at times. The mom was definitely in the wrong and yet, I couldn't help but relate/understand her. (It's got to be so hard to let your baby go be an adult?! Like, will I be able to handle it any better than this mom?!?) Emma Lord did a really great job with this conflict and I think YA readers who are in high school or just out of it will relate so much!

🎧 Fantastic narration! Very easy to listen to! She played all parts gorgeously and I highly recommend this audiobook and narrator.

I really enjoyed this! Riley and Tom are well developed characters who felt like the reader’s friends by chapter 2.. Riley is relatable to everyone who’s ever been 18 and had their whole lives laid out before them, pulsing with possibility. The story plays out well, the pacing is well laid out, and I found myself rooting for Riley — fantastic YA novel 😊

The end of high school caused Riley to question whether or not she really knows who she is. She has spent so long pleasing everyone else in her life, especially her mother, that she forgets what would really make her happy. Thus, Riley takes off on a summer of disco ever in NYC with her long time crush, Tom. While there she connects with old and new friends, while truly discovering who she is and what she really wants in life. This is a must read for any high school student.

Another cute story by Emma Lord. Loved the New York setting and the fact that the main characters had a great connection. Great book for teens looking for a romance book.

Emma Lord writes the sweetest coming of age romance novels, and this one is no exception! Wanting to do something different than what is expected after her high school graduation, Riley decides to go off to New York to reconnect with her best friend Tom. Their relationship hasn't been quite the same since his mother's job took him away, and Riley is looking forward to seeing him in person (and hopefully checking some things off of the Getaway List they created together). Through their adventures they connect not only with each other but some newfound friends. They also discover more about who they are as individuals. .

The audio narration of this book was very enjoyable to listen to, and I thought the characters and plot were easy to follow. This is a very sweet story about finding your people and finding yourself. It's a great reminder to surround yourself with those who support your dreams and love you no matter what. Having a teenage daughter of my own, I also loved the mother/daughter storyline and growth. By the end of this book I had fallen in love with the friend group and the entire friends to lovers story. My teenager would love this one as well, and I won't hesitate to use an audiobook credit and gift it to her when it is officially released.

Thank you to NetGalley and Wednesday books for the advanced copy to read and review.

The audio recording of this YA friends-to-lovers romance was excellent. Norma Butikofer did a great job differentiating the characters' voices and bringing to life all the tensions and connections between these different personalities. I really enjoyed her narration.

The story itself was told in such a way that I was utterly invested in Riley and Tom as individuals, but also in their friendship and its potential to develop into more. The various reveals about their backstories continually complicated things in a way that was very satisfying to read about. I also loved the New York City setting, and the fact that these were mostly responsible teens doing ordinary things, not teens gone wild in a major American city.

Readers who enjoyed last year's Begin Again are in for another great story about the transition from childhood to adulthood.

With her latest novel, Emma Lord has penned one of the most relatable coming of age stories I’ve ever read. She perfectly captures what I think is a pretty universal experience for most young people as they turn 18, graduate from high school, and look to leave home and find their path forward as adults, in some cases, before their parents are really ready to let them go.

Riley finds herself in just such a situation when we meet her on her graduation day. She has been following a path her mom laid out for her but then fails to get into any of the colleges she applied to. Her mom is pushing her to go ahead and at least start community college, but Riley just isn’t feeling it and after some awkward exchanges with her mother where she really has to stress the fact that she is now an adult, Riley finally just tells her that she is going to NYC to see her childhood best friend, Tom, and to think about what she wants.

I loved seeing Riley re-connect with Tom. Their bond was clearly a special one and I especially loved that they still had this “getaway list” they had written years before and that they were now determined to actually complete the items on the list. Not only does this list help facilitate Riley & Tom’s re-connection but it also introduces Riley to several wonderful new friends who become like family for her. And while the list and its antics are meant to be fun, they also start to open Riley’s eyes and give her some concrete thoughts about what she might like her future to look like.

There is also a sweet romance brewing as Riley realizes she may have more than just friendly feelings for Tom, but at its heart, The Getaway List is really about Riley’s personal journey and Emma Lord has delivered her readers yet another gem of a read.

I alternated between the physical copy & the audiobook. The audiobook was narrated by Norma Butikofer who did a great job capturing both the fun and the soul searching vibes of Riley’s journey. I enjoyed both formats immensely!

4 1/2 stars

This book equally gave me "You go Glen Coco!" vibes and also really tapped into my now I'm an adult and have lost a bit of that adventure and wanted to scream "There's no time for risks!"

YA romance, did I realize that? No, I did not. See I knew it was she just graduated high school but I expected it to lean more into NA and college-esque but it still read very YA and high school for me. Tom and Riley have a beautiful friendship and the grand adventures mixed with some simplicity and mundane was fun to ride along with them. New York is always the perfect setting for these crazy escape your life and start fresh tropes and of course it worked here well.

It's a very sweet coming of age novel that shed some light on relatable themes and though it's been a while since I've faced any of the decisions that are viewed as challenges here (news flash- I still don't know what I want or am doing either. Your twenties don't fix anything), it transported me right back to the time that I was facing similar challenges.

The narrator was a perfect fit and transitioned between the female and male seamlessly. Her tone and flow kept me engaged and immersed in the story

#7 of 2024
The Getaway List by Emma Lord
Narrated by Norma Butikofer

Pub Date: January 23, 2024

Thank you @netgalley , @macmillan.audio and @Norma Butikofer for granting me access to this ALC in exchange for an honest review.

First of all let me just say that the author did an awesome job in switching between male and female characters. She did it so seamlessly! She gave life to the story and even if the story is as cliche as it can be at times - she gave life to it and made me stay more till the end.

This is my first friends to lovers in a very long time. I felt like I've just been drowning myself with tons of enemies to lovers so this was quite refreshing. I also liked the fact there's a huge involvement of their friends and family. That it wasn't plainly just the two of them against the world or something like that. I liked rooting for the side characters too and Riley's relationship with her mom. As well as Tom's too.

I also liked all the Taylor Swift references and some of the other jokes that were squeezed into this book. Mariella was a fun character to read, as well as Jesse and Luca.

I enjoyed listening to this story however at times it felt too cheesy, cringe and too good to be true (Or maybe I'm just a grumpy old person LOL and such an emo kid). But then again, that is why it's written because in this world that Emma Lord created - these things were possible to happen. It felt like a hallmark movie at times which again is not bad because I know a lot of people enjoy these feel good cutesy romance kind of story. Don't get me wrong, amidst all that I was able to enjoy finding out how Riley and Tom's story ended.

This was such a charming, endearing and emotionally resonant coming-of-age story! It has a light and airy style while delving into profound depth and tenderness, connecting with individuals who have experienced a sense of displacement on their quest for self-discovery. I recommend this for those looking for a light, fun filled, friends to lovers, journey to self-discovery themed kind of read.

With a unique blend of romance and adventure, this book is a perfect companion for those looking to escape the mundane in New York. Lord's witty writing style adds a refreshing touch to the story, making it an enjoyable read for teens. While the plot might veer into predictability at times, the overall experience is akin to a cozy weekend getaway – charming and pleasantly diverting

Adorable contemporary romance. A coming of age story about a girl escaping her small town for the big city and finding her way with the help of her oldest friend and new ones she meets along the way.

This was such a fun coming of age story. Riley - after high school graduation decides it’s been too long since she saw her old BFF Tom when he moved away and randomly shows up on his doorstep in NYC.
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Along the way she makes friends, deals with family drama, works on their childhood bucket list and tries to not fall in love all while figuring out how to support herself if she stays in the city. Totally valid question! I loved this group of friends. They all felt and authentic each with their own struggles and triumphs.
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I love any type of list trope in books. Is that a trope? It’s something to do and work towards and of course there’s bound to be slight changes to how it’s executed. I don’t make bucket lists or getaway lists but I always love seeing others because I know I’d miss something or learn something new. Also I need that brownie shop in my life. Maybe I’ll need to bake brownies today 😁
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This story releases NEXT WEEK and thank you to @netgalley and @macmillan.audio @wednesdaybooks for the audiobook. @dilemmalord continues to be an auto-buy and auto-read author. These are my own thoughts and opinions.
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Can be triggering: mild language, 1 small incident of underage drinking (not from MCs), family abandonment,

Narration: The narrator's voice was perfectly lighthearted and youthful for this fun #YaRead and switched between the characters voices with ease and clear distinction

In #TheGetawayList we meet Riley as she's graduating high school, unsure what her next steps should be. In the meantime, in the spur of the moment, Riley decides to visit her best friend Tom in NYC. Riley and Tom had grown up together, their moms best friends, they'd become inseparable until a few years back when Tom's mom moved them to NY. They'd kept in touch but that mostly meant Riley barraging Tom with texts and Tom only answering every so often.

The second Riley appears at Tom's door it's like no time had passed at all, like nothing had changed, except maybe Riley noticing how hot her best friend was all of a sudden. Before he'd moved away, the two of them concocted "The Getaway List", a bucket list of sorts, of all the things they wanted to do together and what better time than now. As the two of them work through the list, making friends along the way, Riley starts to feel at home in NY wondering if maybe her future is here in NY with Tom. But as she starts to peel back the reasons Tom had been distant since he moved, she realizes his future might not be in NY here with her after all.

This was everything you could want it to be, free spirited and fun, youthful but with a sense of maturity and purpose. There's an undercurrent of friendship, in all shapes and forms, running through the novel that was just so nice to encounter and that created a warmth so inviting you couldn't help but wish u were part of the crew. I loved Riley and Tom individually and together, I just would've liked to have had more of them, more of when the friendship crossed over into something more, more intimate moments between just the two of them. Still it was refreshing to read the innocence of the experience of being on your own for the first very time, with the cushion of a first love becoming the very last love too

I’ve been in a huge book funk. Nothing was working, I’d read a half hour or so and completely lose interest. This was so distressing because I have SO many books to read.
So I scrolled through my NetGalley and saw that I had The Getaway List still in my queue. I’ve never read anything by Emma Lord but I heard so many great things about Tweet Cute so figured, can’t hurt. Well… that was the best decision I made. I zipped right through the first 85% and probably could’ve kept going if I wasn’t exhausted. But I woke up and finished it pronto!

Riley and Tom were best friends and got into LOTS of mischief when they were growing up. But since Tom moved away they haven’t been as close and they haven’t been able to complete their Getaway List, a list of adventures they want to do together. So what should Riley do when she graduates and has no plans?? Well, New York to see Tom of course!

I loved that they had this amazing friendship (but of course there was a mutual attraction happening😻). They have this incredible found family with other friends and explore New York City together. Both Riley and Tom were raised by their single moms (who were friends) but are currently having mom issues and rely on each other to work through them. I REALLY liked how Riley worked so hard to be a good person for her mom and the relationship they had. Her thoughts were spot on as a daughter and young adult making changes in life.

Norma Butikofer was a great narrator. She personified Riley’s emotions to a tee. I’ll be looking for more from her and I will for sure be reading the rest of Emma Lord’s work. This was such a treat!

Thank you Macmillan Audio, Macmillan Young Listeners, and NetGalley for my early review copy.
These thoughts are my own.

Thanks NetGalley for the advanced copy. I enjoyed The Getaway List, however, being 30 years old it’s hard for me to relate to drama with parents and coming of age stories. While I went into this knowing it was YA, I really enjoyed Tweet Cute and expected a similarly engaging plot, but this book didn’t really have one and I felt relatively board a lot of the book. May resonate better with people from NYC or a younger audience.

The Getaway List by Emma Lord is a fun and relatable romp. I liked all of the characters and I had a good time listening to the audiobook.
The characters in this book are very sweet and relatable. I really liked that Riley wasn’t perfect, and that she wasn’t on a perfectly planned trajectory in life. It was also refreshing that Tom, the seemingly “perfect” character, also didn’t have everything figured out. I think a lot of recent graduates can relate to this feeling. Riley challenging her mom for the first time, making new friends, and trying to survive in the world on her own are things they’ll also be experiencing, and this book shows those life changes in a fairly healthy way.
I really enjoyed the way New York itself became a character. The author’s love for the city definitely came through in the writing. I, however, wanted it to make me feel for NYC the way Today, Tonight, Tomorrow by Rachel Lynn Solomon made me feel for Seattle. I think I couldn’t get as excited about the setting because so many of the places visited only had importance to the characters because of a fictional book series, so I, the reader, will never be able to relate in the same way.
The audiobook narration was great. There were distinctive voices for each character and none of them were grating to me. But Lord’s pet phrase “wryly” was glaringly obvious in the audiobook format as the protagonist’s name is the homophone “Riley”. I may be nitpicking, but it took me out of it for a second each time it popped up.
Overall, The Getaway List is a sweet, fun novel that I will definitely be purchasing for my library. I think it’s a great read for students who are looking down the barrel of graduation or want to fantasize about being left unsupervised with a cute boy in a city where money is no object and good friends are around every corner. I give it 4 out of 5 stars.

Many thanks to NetGalley, Wednesday Books and Macmillan Audio for gifting me an audio ARC of the new book by Emma Lord, perfectly narrated by Norma Butikofer - 4 stars!

On the day of her high school graduation, Riley realizes she went along with all her mom's plans for her that she doesn't really know herself or what she wants. In addition, because she was all over the place with clubs and interests, she didn't apply herself to anything that made her stand out, hence a slew of college rejection letters. Determined to do something different, she heads to NYC to meet up with her best friend, Tom, who moved to the city for his mom's career. They decide to reenact their childhood Getaway List - all the things they wanted to do when they got old enough.

This is just a sweet rom com, a perfect YA book, and also a love letter to NYC. It's about coming of age but also coming to grips with who you are, what you want, and what you need to do to make that happen. I also loved the idea of the delivery service app!

This book is a delightful story about coming into one’s own & the discovery of new beginnings and new friendships. The book is narrated by Norma Butikofer who does a beautiful job taking on the different personalities of each character. I most enjoyed her narrations of Tom & Mariela. The book is filled with some beautiful lines & images that are difficult to forget when when read by Butikofer.

Riley lacking a sense of direction after her high school graduation recalls creating The Getaway List with her best friend, Tom, but never having the chance to complete since Tom had moved to New York. She quickly decides this is the perfect time to visit Tom in New York. Riley is nervous going but the thrill of seeing Tom after so many years out weighs it all.

As the story moves forward it easily becomes clear that this story is about Riley’s discovery of who she is and where she belongs now. The new friendships she makes, the completion of the The Getaway List and the simple discovery of so much wonder around her provides Riley with exactly what she needs - direction & a place of belonging. She also discovers that after all these years, Tom might not just be her best friend - he might be someone she loves and needs forever.

The ending is so satisfying and filled with a few surprises that I strongly suggest reading and/or listening to this book. It is a perfect Teen & YA read and/or listen!

The Getaway List follows Riley, who just graduated from high school and heads to New York to reconnect with her childhood best friend, Tom. Over the summer, they decide to complete their getaway list of items they were never able to do together since Tom moved away. They develop friendships, complete their list, struggles with in their relationships with their mothers, and dance around their feelings for each other.

I didn’t love this. Tweet Cute is such an amazing book, I loved it, I also really enjoyed Lord’s second book, but nothing since, maybe it’s time for me to hang up my hat? I feel like Lord can never capture the magic of Tweet Cute in any of her stories after. I was so bored with this, I listened to the audiobook and the narrator was good, but I just wanted it to be over. I thought the ending point was around 80%, and when it kept going I couldn’t believe it. I just found this dragged, there were so many friends and I wasn’t invested in their stories, I also really didn’t care about any of the getaway list tasks. I feel like the ending just dragged out and could’ve ended much quicker, it was so predictable. I didn’t like either of their mothers, they were kind of awful in their own way. The only part of this I enjoyed was the potential romance between Tom and Riley, it was really sweet, but they’re literally not together for the entire story, at all….
Anyways, I think this could be good for others, though it’s YA, it does feel juvenile. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the free preview in exchange for an honest review.