Lord, Emma. The Getaway List. MacMillan/St. Martin’s Press/Wednesday Books, 2024. 320 pp. ISBN 9781250903990 $20.00

Lord, Emma. The Getaway List. Narrated by Norma Butikofer. MacMillan Audio, 2024. 9781250331557. Unabridged, 9 hours, 49 minutes. $26.00

****

Riley’s childhood partner-in-crime Tom moved away due to his mother’s job in the entertainment industry, so they created The Getaway List (a sort of teenage bucket list for when they are reunited) and the last few years they have seen little of one another, with Riley’s mom seeming to be actively keeping Riley from Tom due to their mischievous misadventures. Usually harmless and sometimes even beneficial, their shenanigans included random acts of kindness, like when they paired up to anonymously leave thoughtful little gifts in the lockers of friends who seem down. Now based in New York, Tom works for an the Dear, Love Dispatch app that pairs anonymous gifters with consenting recipients (and one thing on the list is for Riley to make a delivery for the app). Riley doesn’t want to spend her summer post-graduation working in her single mom’s coffee shop, and maybe wants to write, so she rather spontaneously decides to go visit Tom in New York. Mom vehemently disagrees… but Riley is eighteen and off she goes. The weekend turns into the summer, and Riley intends to stay and make a go of a life in New York.

The writing is strong–NYC details are vivid, the emotions shimmer off the page, and Lord’s “chaos beans” are fully fleshed out characters, as are authentic supporting characters across a range of ethnicities and sexualities that becomes a quick clique: Tom’s quirky best New York friend Marissa; Luka, a new buddy met in a writing class who might have a crush on Riley; Jesse, Riley’s old boyfriend; Di, who might have a crush on Jesse. The subplot of who likes who and the subsequent angsting adds drama, as does the conflict resolution between Riley and her single mom, and Tom’s estrangement from his own career focused mother.

In spite of the time and distance, Riley and Tom pick up their friendship warmly… but the temperature increases when she realizes he movie-star handsome friend has gotten tall, muscled, and well, even hotter. Neither seems to want to make any romantic leap that could jeopardize their friendship, but the chemistry and FEELINGS are there and this slow burn has many romantic moments, even before they declare themselves (there is some passionate kissing, but any further details are left behind closed doors). Their initial meet cute was over a fantasy fandom, and part of their getaway list is based on locations, fanfic, and events central to the invented Tides of Time franchise. Pop culture mentions may eventually date the story, but Taylor Swift and McFlurries are perennial.

I listened to the audio recording, and Norma Butikofer’s spectacular narration gives Riley a unique voice. Her native New Yorkers have the perfect twang, Tom’s tone is deeper, and Marisol’s clipped, faster paced Latina accent adds spice.

I received a free advance readers copy (and listener’s audio edition!) of #TheGetawayList from #NetGalley courtesy of #MacMillan.