thanks to NetGalley for the eARC

⭐️=4.25 | 😘=5 | 🤬=4 | 18+

summary: two musicians who have been like kinda-semi-rivals feat. chemistry and One Amazing Kiss for years are now collaborating and there’s lots of drama and stuff!!

thoughts: very good! had actually reasonable third act conflicts—external AND internal AND interpersonal, almost to the point of like too many external conflicts?? or twists?? but maybe not???? either way, Emma Lord definitely has her finger on the pulse of how character development works in a romcom. I will say that Tick Tune (this fake music app that plays a large part in the book) was a jumpscare literally every time because it’s such a silly sounding name and I could not take it seriously but like besides that I did like this a lot!!

such a fast, cute second chance?? romance read.

former band stars sam blaze (candy shack) and mackenzie waters (thunder hearts) set the stage for years as teasing rivals who always took their role a step too far but never crossed “that line”. fast forward 2 years and their paths cross again and throw them into the mix of coming out as a duet together by their shared label (their agents are twin sisters) with their new and self improved sounds. they want to leave the loudness and chaotic band energy and switch it for something more slower paced that feels more like themselves after band life.

begrudgingly, to write the songs they need within the month they set rules, plans and the biggest one is “no love songs” but as mackenzie fights the feelings being back around the one who truly broke her heart even though they never were together and as they both separately realize they will never truly be over the other, can they allow themselves this little sliver of happiness in their crazy lives?

I loved the music industry jargon and background to the main romance plot between Mackenzie and Sam. Can we talk about them? They were rvials, with a lot of classic enemies to lovers banter, which was fun! They slightly reminded me of Sonny and Chad from Sonny with a Chance. LOL. Years prior, Mackenzie was in an all-girls pop band and Sam was in a punk-rock band — and their bands toured together. But then due to external circumstances, their bands disbanded. They moved on. Sam settled down to raise his son alongside his son’s mother and her girlfriend, while Mackenzie had throat surgery due to an underlining medical issue with her thyroid that affected her vocal cords. Because she felt alone, she turned to writing songs, and she later recorded and published them under a pseudonym “Seven” on the popular music app “Tick Tune” (a fictionalized version of TikTok).

When their old label proposes that Sam and Mackenzie team up to drum up press and reignite their careers, they start to write songs together (for the record) … and the spark between Sam and Mackenzie, that was always there, harboring underneath the surface, blossoms again.

It ended up being a story also about the music industry and owning your music … and ultimately, your voice! Really loved that — especially with Taylor Swift’s re-recording projects. But overall, the romance was great! Lots of banter and fun pop culture references — which I don’t typically mind (if it’s not overdone), like what I expected from this author.

Overall, I’d recommend! Such a cute romance. It genuinely put a smile on my face and uplifted my mood. Only one spicy scene, but other than that, pretty much closed door. If you’re looking for a fun, contemporary romance to put a smile on your face but also that carries a bit of emotional depth, that has a good story, then pick this one up.

For the Record is a second-chance romance set to a soundtrack of nostalgia, secrets, and slow-burning feels. Mackenzie and Sam used to be rival rockstars (and more than a little something offstage), but after their bands fell apart and life threw a few curveballs—hello, vocal cord surgery and surprise fatherhood—they went their separate ways. Fast forward a few years, and they’re teaming up for a comeback collab that brings back all the tension... and all the unresolved stuff.

I really liked the premise—two former enemies-to-lovers turned musical exes trying to find harmony again (literally and figuratively). The dual POV format worked great for seeing both sides of their story, and I loved the little peeks into their emotional baggage and what’s driving them now. Plus, the epilogue? Super cute and satisfying.

That said, I was hoping for a bit more spark. Some moments dragged, and while the characters were fun, I didn’t always feel super connected to their emotional arcs. There were a few missed opportunities to really dig deeper, and I didn’t get that full swoon-factor I’m usually chasing in a romance. No butterflies-in-my-stomach or “OMG just kiss already!” moments.

Still, it’s a sweet, easygoing read—perfect if you’re in the mood for something light, music-tinged, and low on drama. Predictable? Sure. But sometimes you just want a feel-good story with a happy ending—and this definitely delivers on that front.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC!

Loved this read! So fun and easy I zipped through it without being able to put it down. Loved the story line and the realism with “tick tune” and the struggles of the music industry. The love story, similar to Daisy Jones & the six, but with such a uniqueness to it on its own.

This book was a cute romance of two rival bands who have all gone separate ways over the last two years. Until one night Sam and Mack bump into eachother at where their love story kind of began.

I enjoyed the HEA in this book and the way Emma made all the minor characters stand out. It was more of a slow pace for me but once it got me hooked I was in and loved the added spice to it. Sam and Mack truely were meant for each-other after going through life without eachother.

For the Record was a solid read, but it didn’t fully click for me. I liked the second chance romance angle, and the whole former rival rock stars thing was fun. Mackenzie’s journey, especially with the thyroid disorder representation, was a nice touch—it’s not something you see often, and it felt really meaningful.

There were some moments I enjoyed—like the dual POVs and the songwriting parts—but overall, the pacing felt a little uneven. Some parts dragged, and others moved too fast. I also didn’t totally buy the deep love between the main characters—it felt more told than shown, which made it harder to feel really connected to their story.

That said, I did like the ending and the way things came together for them. It had a sweet vibe and some emotional payoff. I think if you’re into low-drama, music-centered romances, this might work better for you. Just didn’t totally hit the mark for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the advanced copy.

4.5/5 stars

Wow, I really enjoyed this book.

The characters? The romance? The drama? I loved it all! The final few chapters pulled at my heartstrings. I loved the love story and I also loved Mackenzie’s story of redemption.

And I also really loved the inclusion of Mackenzie’s thyroid disorder. I’ve never seen my illness represented in a book and it just made me feel really seen, especially as hypothyroidism is so often invisible.

I love Emma Lord’s dive into adult fiction and am so eager to see what she does next.

Thank you to the publisher for an advance copy!

Emma Lord’s enemies to lovers tale has all the best moments—music, drama, redemption, and even a precocious six year old. The only thing it’s missing is a Mack & Sam playlist. Add this book to your TBR. It’s golden.

Pub Date 8/12/25

#emmalord
#fortherecord
#netgalley
#enemiestolovers

Rockstar/Popstar rivals-to-lovers, second chance romance? Yes, please! I enjoyed this book from start to end, and Emma Lord’s signature style (cuteness+banter?! If you’ve read her YA books then you’ll know) all over.

I appreciated all the other parts of the book beyond the relationship between the two MCs as well. Such as female friendships, found family, and their journeys of self discovery.

Thank you for the ARC!

Five full stars. I loved this book so much! Mack and Sam 4Eva! Two former rival rock stars reconnect two years after whatever their relationship was ended. They had both gone through a lot during that time and brought all of their past to create a different future. I’m a sucker for a rock star romance and it’s even better when they’re both rock stars! I appreciated the level of maturity included in this story. I worried that the secrets would blow everything up in toxic ways which would make their story the worse kind of contemporary romance formula. Instead, adults behaved like adults and I was there for every single minute of it. I can’t wait for the audiobook to release so I can listen to the story again!
*Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley

Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review! I’m usually a fan of Emma Lord’s books, but this second chance romance between rival rockstars fell flat for me. I just could not relate to either MC and the fact that Sam Blaze ( who must be referred to always by first and last name) and would not stop calling Mackenzie Waters sparkles was just too much. The writing was just too cheesy for me (lots of blaze/water puns). DNF @ 40%.

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC.

This was a fun second chance romance and I enjoyed the “enemies” (which was really just disguised mutual pining) to lovers. The banter between the main characters was great, and letting each other see their fears and flaws, and who they really were was so well done. This was my first Emma Lord, but it won’t be my last.

This was such a cute story! A little bit enemies to lovers and a little bit second chance romance. They are both stubborn though....so it takes a little while for them to accept it. I would recommend this book. Read pop princess MacKenzie and punk rock star Sam's story. Their adventures of working together again and drama with friends and family.

I love Emma Lord and consume every book she puts out. She’s so good at building up the romances and giving great backstories to her characters, and slow burns/enemies to lovers always work when she does them. I loved this book!

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin Press for a copy of an eARC in exchange for my honest review.

To be completely honest with you all, this took me much longer to read than I initially expected it would. I sincerely thought that with the title of this that I would be hooked instantly, but sadly that wasn’t the case. Don’t get me wrong this was a nice enjoyable read but I somehow thought I needed a bit more. This book is a nice second chance romance with two former music rivals.

This is told with dual point of views which is one of the favorite things this had to offer. The little rival moments was also needed and the way we got a bit of flashback of how they once was great.

Truthfully. There was times when it felt a little flat, with some parts feeling a bit slow and others feeling a bit fast paced. The book is great if you want something with not too much drama and may be a quick read for you. This isn’t too bad, but not my overall favorite.

I finished this book up on April 10, 2025. It was so good!

The plot and the love story within really kept me entertained as I devoured this book. I'll leave my goodreads review below.

Thank you for allowing me to enjoy and review early! I hope you have the best release day in August!!

I’m often wary of the second chance romance trope, but this one worked! Everything was definitely bolstered by the setting here but Sam and Mack were cute as heck. My one complaint (which is purely subjective) is that at times it did lean YA— not a bad thing just not my preference! Overall cute and would recommend:

I was excited to receive a complimentary copy of For the Record by Emma Lord from NetGalley. Opinions in this review are completely my own.

First of all, I loved this book. I have loved all of Emma Lord's books so far and have a number of them in my classroom. This one has a slightly more YA feel to it than some of her other novels. I loved the feel of redemption for Sam that this book had. It was obvious that their relationship had not worked in the past, so it was nice to see how he had changed and grown to get to a place where he was ready for a relationship. I felt kind of sad how their relationship had been manipulated in the past, so it was nice to see them rebuild their friendship.

The book definitely gave Daisy Jones and the Six vibes. I loved the idea of them getting together to write a joint album that would be the comeback they both needed.

Mack and Sam were in popular rival bands, with fans notoriously and loudly rooting for them to get together. When the bands fell apart, so did any hope of their relationship – this was a really creative take on the rivals to lovers trope.

We get to watch them navigate life after this high and decide what they really WANT to do – and whether or not that includes a joint comeback album.

The story had Emma’s signature style and sweets (by way of Sweet Harmony Bakery), and I think it will be such a fun summer read for fans of Taylor Swift, Daisy Jones and the Six, and sugary sweet romances.

I am a die hard fan of Emma Lord’s YA novels, and I think she keeps getting better with her adult novels – I’m eager to see what she does next.

Thank you St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the e-arc!