I've enjoyed all of Emma Lord's books, so it was a no-brainer to pick this one up when I was at the library. And it did not disappoint!
The book follows eighteen-year-old Riley who escapes her hometown and her overprotective mother for a summer in New York with her childhood bestie who moved there before high school when his mother's moviemaking career took off. In the intervening years, Riley and Tom have remained in contact and have planned numerous adventures together, most of which have been cancelled by Riley's mom. Which has led to them crating The Getaway List - a list of all the things they've wanted to do over the years. And this summer in New York, Riley and Tom resolve to actually do them all.
Riley is determined to try and find the adventurous person she used to be again. And she's certain Tom is the key. He was always the outgoing one, the one who drew people together.
Things grow more complicated when Riley arrives at Tom's apartment and discovers that not only has he grown up, but he's grown hot too. They fall easily into their old pattern of friendship, but things aren't quite the same. Tom isn't quite the same and Riley's feelings for Tom seem to have shifted from just being friends to wanting something more.
As they embark on completing the Getaway List, Tom and Riley meet new friends who they bring along on their journey, ticking off all the things they've wanted to do, and discovering a few more they never expected.
This was a sweet, fun read. Riley is a delightfully chaotic character whose spirit has been squashed for several years and watching her grow into herself as an adult, rediscovering all the things she loved about her childhood, was a treat. And who couldn't fall in love with Tom? He's funny and sweet and a little sad and you get the sense that he actually lost more of his spark than Riley did when the pair of them were separated. This is a pair that are just made to be together and it takes far too long for either of them to actually come to that conclusion themselves.
Add in the delightfully madcap group of friends they make as they make the city their own, and this book is a terrific read. I enjoyed it very much.
But don't just listen to me. Here's the blurb:
The day of her high school graduation, Riley realizes two things: One, that she has spent the last four years trying so hard to be a Good Kid for her mom that she has no idea who she really is anymore, and two, she has no idea what she wants because of it. The solution? Pack her bags and move to New York for the summer, where her childhood best friend Tom and co-creator of The Getaway List ― a list of all the adventures they’ve wanted to do together since he moved away ― will hopefully help her get in touch with her old adventurous self, and pave the road to a new future.
Riley isn’t sure what to expect from Tom, who has been distant since his famous mom’s scriptwriting career pulled him away. But when Riley arrives in the city, their reconnection is as effortless as it was when they were young―except with one, unexpected complication that will pull Riley’s feelings in a direction she didn’t know they could take. As she, Tom, and their newfound friends work their way through the delightfully chaotic items on The Getaway List, Riley learns that sometimes the biggest adventure is not one you take, but one you feel in your heart.
Inescapably romantic and brimming with Emma Lord’s signature cheer, The Getaway List is an uplifting and romantic read that will settle into your heart and never leave.
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