I really enjoyed this book. The characters were likeable and I loved that they were both working on their own issues. I listened to this on audio and personally didn't love the male narrators voice.

A pop artist and a punk rock singer, who were forced to do concerts together when young, and created sales off a "fake" attraction the fans loved.

Years later, their agents decide they should become a duet to kick start their new careers. But they still need to deal with the feelings of the past, and the life they have now, and the future they both want.

I loved the writing in this book and the story of Mack and Sam. It was a cute story, that had me rooting for all the characters through out the book. Emma Lord is a great writer, and this romance was a perfect read.

Emma Lord has carved out her own corner of contemporary YA by blending heartfelt family dynamics with the messy beauty of friendship, ambition, and first love—and For the Record might be her most layered work yet.

At its heart, this is a story about identity: who you are, who people expect you to be, and what you risk when you decide to rewrite your own script. Lord doesn’t shy away from the chaos of being a teen on the brink of adulthood. Her main character wrestles with pressure, self-doubt, and the thrill of chasing dreams, all while navigating relationships that feel both fragile and fiercely important.

What makes the novel shine is the way Lord balances humor with vulnerability. One chapter might have you laughing at sharp banter, the next might catch you off guard with a gut-punch of honesty about loyalty, self-worth, or the weight of expectations. The friendships are messy and real, the romance sparkles with slow-burn charm, and the setting—anchored in the world of music and performance—brings an irresistible sense of energy.

Lord also excels at writing parents and families who feel alive on the page. The generational push-and-pull, the misunderstandings, and the moments of love hidden beneath all the noise add a richness that elevates the book beyond a typical YA romance.

Ultimately, For the Record is about finding your own rhythm in a world that wants to put you on repeat. It’s funny, heartfelt, and compulsively readable—the kind of YA that makes you want to hug the book when you’re done.

dnf @ 22%

this is my first emma lord book and i'm pretty disappointed. i think i could've easily kept reading and given it a solid 2-3 stars, but i found the relationship between mackenzie and sam pretty confusing and lacking for some kind of second-chance-but-not plot. there was a lot going on in the first part and i just couldn't get into it. thank you for the chance to try it out! i would maybe give emma lord another try in the future.

*~ Best Musical Romance ~*

Music Rivals Mackenzie and Sam always had a playful dynamic with an underlying tension that I'm sure had fans shipping them more and more with every show they did. But offstage, they wrote music together but never let their hands show to one another how they truly felt towards one another. Fast forward a couple years, Sam's life has changed along with his priorities and Mackenzie's style has changed because a health scare altered her once instantly recognizable voice. They are coming together to figure out how to both get back into the music industry in a way that fits them and their changed lives. As the story goes on, we wonder if they will work together and then go their separate ways or if they will continue on, hand in hand, writing music and living life together.

Thank you to Net Galley, Macmillan Audio, St. Martin's Press, and Emma Lord for an eARC and ALC of this story. The immersive reading experience was appreciated.

Emma Lord just gets me. Every time I pick up one of her books, I’m reminded why she’s a favorite, and For the Record was no exception. This story has everything I crave in a contemporary romance: second chances, a touch of rivals-to-lovers tension, and an emotional core that hits you when you least expect it.

🎶 What worked for me
The second-chance romance between two musical rivals was absolutely delicious. The banter, the history, the vulnerability: it all gave me the kind of swoony tension that makes you want to binge an entire book in one sitting. On top of that, the theme of reinvention was so strong here. Emma Lord explores what it means to rediscover yourself, especially after mistakes or heartbreak, and I found myself underlining line after line.

🎶 The unexpected gem
What I didn’t anticipate (but loved) was the co-parenting and dad/daughter dynamic woven into the story. It grounded the romance and added an emotional weight that elevated the whole book. Seeing characters navigate family ties, imperfect but real love, and finding their place in the world gave this story so much heart. 🥹

🎶 Why you’ll love it
This isn’t just a book about music or romance; it’s about second chances in every sense: with love, with family, with yourself. It’s heartfelt, witty, and full of the kind of characters you want to root for from page one.

🎶 Perfect if you love
🎤 Musical rivals with sparks
💔 Second chance romance
👨‍👧 Heartfelt parent/child relationships
✨ Reinvention & self-discovery

Emma Lord has done it again, and I’m already counting down the days until her next release.

4.5 ⭐️
Emma Lord’s ”Tweet Cute” was one of the books that got me back into reading in 2022, so reading this one was a full circle moment!

Mackenzie and Sam are each past members of two bands that toured together two years ago (with the natural falling out between the two before they didn’t speak for said two years). Sam, trying to find his way in a solo career, ropes Mackenzie into writing and recording songs as a duet. Sparks fly, and we learn all about Mackenzie and Sam’s lives amongst the romance between them.

I loved this book. So easy to read, incredibly insightful and reflective. The character growth was immaculate and this was just the perfect summer celebrity romance. There’s really not much else to say- pick this one up!

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for my honest review!

When Mackenzie Waters' girl band breaks up, it marks the beginning of a much-needed reinvention. Sam Blaze, a former punk rocker, finds himself at a similar crossroads. With a shared past and a few secrets between them, teaming up might just be the spark they need to revive their musical careers.
While I’m not always drawn to stories set in the music industry, this one held my interest—perhaps even more so than Mackenzie and Sam’s romance. At times, you just want the characters to be honest with themselves and each other, and that tension made the story all the more compelling.

Overall, this was an enjoyable and engaging read.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Publishing for the opportunity!

A cute little romance with a band. Weirdly I'm listening to the Griffin Sisters at the same time so lots of band in the atmosphere. All that being said, it's cute and entertaining for what it is, but pretty surface level and the stakes aren't that high.

In this dual POV book, Mackenzie Waters, pop star, and Sam Blaze, nemesis rock star are basically forced to work together on an album. Cue in the banter, forced proximity and palpable tension.

Overall, I enjoyed this book, but I have also realized that rock star/music themed books might just not be for me. If you do enjoy this theme, though, I highly recommend this read!

Book came out on August 12th, be sure to check it out ✨

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an e-ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

#BookReview #ForTheRecord #NetGalley #Romance #EnemiesToLovers

For The Record by Emma Lord absolutely stole my heart—I never wanted it to end! Not only does this book shine a light on the darker sides of the music industry, but it also gave me major Taylor Swift vibes, which made it even more fun to read.

This rivals-to-lovers story between Sam and MacKenzie had me hooked from the start—their chemistry was off the charts! I was pleasantly surprised that this one had a little more spice than I usually expect from Emma Lord, but it was tastefully done and added so much to their relationship.

I especially loved that the story was told in dual POV, which made both characters feel so layered and real.

That said, I do wish we had gotten more backstory about both music groups. The breakups of each band didn’t feel fully explained, and the tension between MacKenzie and her former bandmates seemed a little off compared to how central it was meant to be. My only other wish? That we could have actually heard the songs they were writing, because I know they would have been incredible!

A must-read for music lovers, romance fans, and anyone who loves stories that make you feel all the emotions. 🎶💜

I can never resist a romance novel with a singer-songwriter at its heart—or in this case, two. Even since reading Julie Soto's Not Another Love Song, I have been in love with this genre. Our leads are pop princess Mackenzie Waters and punk rock star Sam Blaze, once infamous in the music world for their on-stage clashes. Now that both are pursuing solo careers, the question is whether those sparks of rivalry will turn into something more.

Overall, I’d say this was a good read, though not quite a great one. The author stretched out the will-they-won’t-they tension a little too long for my taste—it was obvious from the start that Mackenzie and Sam belonged together. (Though maybe that was just my book slump talking). The dual POVs added depth, and I appreciated how the story didn’t only focus on their romance but also explored the personal baggage each character was carrying. That balance between the love story and individual growth worked really well for me.

For now I think I will be giving this book 3 stars although I think I will visit this book in the future to re-evaluate.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for providing me with this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

5 ⭐ 3 🌶️ 5 🎧

As if I couldn't love Emma Lord more, she brings me Mack and Sam. These two stole my entire heart. The banter, the angst, the spice and the love they shared got me all up in my feels and I never want to let them go. Both broken in their own way and torn apart initially from those broken bits, they found their way back stronger and better than before.

Mack about broke my heart every dang chapter. I felt her pain so immensely at times... I loved watching her pour her grief into Seven, but I loved watching her mend those relationships with Sam and Serena tenfold. Sam was his own brand of broken too. And while I usually don't care for awful parent redemptions, Caspar's felt different. I really enjoyed seeing how they repaired their relationship and moved on happier for it.

The audio was perfect. I about screamed when I realized it was Andrew Eiden narrating Sam and I loved Jesse Vilinksy to pieces too. This was such a fantastic listen. Thank you so much to Macmillan Audio for the advanced copy!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for providing the ARC.

I don't really know what I expected going into this book, but a wonderfully poignant book about two people crashing out about their former identities and trying to keep each other at arm's length so they don't hurt them was decidedly not it. And honestly, this book was better because of it.

Lord does an excellent job of weaving together the story of two former musicians trying to get back into the game despite their bands breaking up a few years prior. The chemistry between Mack and Sam is palpable right from the beginning, crackling the story to life immediately. You learn each of their most well-kept secrets, things that the other probably should have heard two years prior, but life got in the way. And just like that, this book is transformed into a story about loving someone at the wrong time in their life and closing yourself off from them.

This theme is echoed throughout the book with the relationships that both Mack and Sam have with the people around them. And there is a tremendous amount of growth in both of them as individuals throughout this book that you can clearly see how their relationship now is so much better than it would have been if they had gotten together previously.

This book tore at my heart in the best way possible and I can't help but love Emma Lord for providing this story to the world.

For The Record is a cute romcom about two musicians who had a previous public riff going for publicity purposes only for them to get reunited in their solo careers to come up with new music. It was full of musical references, second chance vibes, some angst and second guessing of past decisions and a bit of a glimpse into the life of a rock star

Thank you, NetGalley and Saint Martin Press for this advance reader copy! You can pick up For The Record on August 12, 2025!
—
3.5 ⭐️

It’s a cute romcom about a rivalry and redemption between two musicians. Emma’s characters are relatable and her writing is beautiful. I smiled and laughed while reading Mackenzie and Sam’s playful banter. I felt the pacing is too slow for my liking. But I had a great time with reading this cute love story!

This book had its ups and downs. The storyline was slow at times. However, towards the end it seemed to pickup and I genuinely enjoyed this book. It was fun to read a book that is centered around the music industry. Mackenzie and Sam had great chemistry. If you love music and the second chance trope, I think you will love this book!

Thank you NetGalley, Emma Lord and St. Martin’s Griffin for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

If you love music and learning more about the music industry, this Romance is for you. There's also plenty of nostalgia here as both the MMC and FMC remember there days in two different bands touring together. Sam is interested in reviving his career after taking time off to be with his young son. Mackenzie is reluctant to be on stage anymore after heartbreak and vocal surgery left her voice sounding different. They are convinced to work together again because one song they wrote together did really well. They also have to deal with many unspoken feelings. I enjoyed watching Mackenzie and Sam work together, bicker, laugh, and fall in love. There's also a long and involved side plot about a music streaming channel called Tick Tune that I honestly did not need, but I can see how music lovers might enjoy this.

Thank you NetGalley for the free digital ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Mackenzie Waters and Sam Blaze have history — the kind that hums under your skin like a favorite song you can’t quite get out of your head. Two years ago, she was part of the girl group Thunder Hearts, he was the lead in punk band Candy Shard, and together they toured, teased, and played their way through a flirtation that was “just for the stage”… until it wasn’t. She fell for him. He fell for her. Neither ever said a word.

Now, their managers have thrown them back together to co-write a debut duet album — one that could restart both their careers. The question is: can they work through all the unspoken feelings, the past misunderstandings, and the lingering chemistry long enough to make magic again… both in music and in love?

I’ll be honest — the beginning was a little chaotic for me. It took a bit to settle into the rhythm of the story and understand the timeline and backstory. But once Mackenzie and Sam were back in each other’s orbit? Perfection. Their banter crackled, their longing felt earned (not insta-love), and their slow-burn progression made me want to cheer them on.

By the end, this story felt like redemption — for the main couple, for their careers, and for the side characters who also got moments of closure. It’s full of music, found family, second chances, and the type of love story that feels like it’s been quietly writing itself for years before finally stepping into the spotlight.

If you love romance with a backstage pass, musicians with complicated hearts, and happy endings that feel both sweet and hard-earned, this one hits the right notes.

Second chance romances only work for me if we can really see the whole history of a relationship and feel the heartbreak from the first time around. I did not get that from this book 🥲 I have tried this author a few different times and I just don’t think her writing is for me.