If you enjoy stories with a music-scene backdrop, a dash of drama, and a romance worth rooting for, For the Record by Emma Lord absolutely delivers. This second-chance, enemies-to-lovers romance brings together pop princess Mackenzie Waters and punk rocker Sam Blaze—two former rivals turned reluctant collaborators—who must navigate old wounds, fresh secrets, and the tricky path back to each other.

Told over several years, the story begins with Mackenzie and Sam at the height of their musical rivalry—and a budding, behind-the-scenes romance. But just as things between them begin to heat up, both bands fall apart, and so does their relationship. Fast forward two years: Sam is now a single dad, adjusting to a quieter life after discovering he has a son. Mackenzie, recovering from throat surgery that changed her voice, has been hiding behind a pseudonym to continue singing.

Enter the record label with a high-stakes proposition: Mackenzie and Sam must team up for a joint comeback album. With their careers—and reputations—on the line, the two are thrown back into each other’s orbit. What unfolds is a heartfelt journey of rediscovery, creative collaboration, and emotional healing.

I really appreciated how Lord doesn’t shy away from the emotional weight of fame. Both Mackenzie and Sam have been shaped by the glare of the spotlight, and their personal growth felt authentic. Mackenzie’s struggle with her voice and identity post-surgery was especially poignant, and Sam’s determination to break the cycle of abandonment in his own family added real depth to his character.

There’s plenty of angst, but it’s the kind that makes the payoff sweeter. I was rooting for these two to get it right the second time around—even when the past loomed large and new secrets threatened their fragile trust. Lord perfectly captures the tension of a creative partnership with a complicated history, and the musical references throughout added a fun, immersive layer to the story.

Final Thoughts:

For the Record hits all the right notes: it’s a charming, emotionally layered romance with characters you’ll want to see succeed—on the stage and in love.

I received an ARC of this book from the publisher but the thoughts and opinions expressed here are my own.

I enjoyed the way the characters worked through their history together, rewriting their relationship, rebuilding their connection, discovering each other once again all on the guide of it being "For the record". This was a creative take on musician plots and second chances. I like Emma Lord's writing style too, feels familiar and connected.

I LOVED this book! It was so fun and cute and the plot had my on my heels the whole time. I genuinely couldn’t put this book down. By the time I finished the epilogue I was tearing up and smiling from ear to ear. I cannot recommend this book enough if you are liking for a genuine heartfelt feel good book.

What a fantastic love story! Singer-songwriters Sam and Mackenzie knew each other before. Before everything fell apart. Before they could figure out their feelings for each other. Now they have another chance. To get to know each other as they are now and to be honest about their feelings. The chemistry is obvious with these two. Their banter is perfection and the dual narrative gives much needed context and depth. All of the other characters in the book - friends and found family - were fun and added to the charm. A great plot revolving around the music industry and set against the backdrop of New York City, this new romance deserves all the stars!
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC to read and review. All opinions are my own.

4.25

I’d like to thank NetGalley and St.Martin’s Press for giving me an advanced reader copy. I can’t wait till this book comes out later this summer! I was hooked from the start and found myself so invested in the characters lives. Would definitely recommend for anyone who loves a good slow burn romance.

For the Record is a dual-POV romance that follows Mackenzie Waters and Sam Blaze, two musicians from two famous bands that had a famous rivalry. Mackenzie and Sam were central to playing up the rivalry, but their tension both on and off the stage grew into something more--until both bands went their separate ways, and Sam and Mackenzie experienced separate life events that rocked their worlds. Two years later, both Mackenzie and Sam are interested in making career comebacks as solo artists, but their record label has other plans and force them into being a duo. With their careers on the line, Mackenzie and Sam have to learn to work together, even as the sparks between them start to fly and emotions and secrets make their fresh start as a duet more complicated.

I thought the premise of this was cute. I loved the idea of old music rivalries that always harbored a flame for each other getting forced into working together, and Mackenzie and Sam's songwriting journey as they put an album together was really fun and sweet to follow along with. I also adored Sam's son, Ben. Every time he popped up I thought he was just the cutest, quirkiest little thing!

Truthfully, though, I had a hard time with the way this story was executed. The first half of the novel frequently cut between present-day situations and conversations and scenes and situations from the past, which made everything feel disjointed and hard to follow. It almost feels like the narrative would have been better served by having a "Before" part and a "Now" part, or at least chapters solely focused on the past or the present, so that way everything read a little more clearly and we got more full and helpful insight into Mackenzie and Sam's relationship, but also the relationships with their bands. There were also, in my opinion, far too many subplots being juggled in such a short novel, making it hard to fully grasp or be invested in any of them. Knowing very little about the inner workings of the music industry, the "Tick Tune" storyline was especially difficult to understand or really care about, particularly once the legal/contract aspect got brought in. I also felt like Mackenzie's relationships with her friends were extremely underdeveloped. I couldn't really find myself to care about the Serena subplot when we were given so little about Mackenzie's time with her bandmates and her friendships with them.

This book definitely had a lot of promise, but I think it could have benefitted from some serious restructuring to make it flow better, as well as some trimming out of subplots so others could have been fleshed out better.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC and the chance to read/review early! All opinions are my own.

This is a 3 star read for me. I can see others really enjoying it. I personally just didn't connect in the way that I had hope for this read. I am excited to read more from this author though!

This is now the 6th book that I've read by Emma Lord between her YA and adult novels - and this quickly became my favorite. For the Record is a great romance featuring two musicians who after hitting world-wide success with their own bands / groups need to find a way to return to the music world again with a fresh start. A mix of enemies-to-lovers and second chance romance - this novel has top-notch banter with Sam and Mackenzie. After a false start romance two years prior while their bands were touring together ended quickly and painfully - Sam and Mackenzie are paired together by their managers as a duet to test out their previous success as songwriters and to take advantage of their undeniable chemistry. Mackenzie had plenty of friendship drama and support on her side. But I kind of wanted to see more on Sam's side - more moments with his son (Ben was adorable) and more with him having a support system of his own, other than his manager (Lizzie and Kara maybe to get advice from?). Overall - this was a fun summer read - definitely recommend! Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the chance to read this novel.

This was a super cute musician romance with a mostly compelling plot line.
I enjoyed the ending.. but the beginning and middle sort of dragged along and I wasn’t sure what the plot was doing for most of it. It felt repetitive in the beginning and the climax didn’t hit until like 85% through.

The characters were fun and I really liked Sam - Mack was a bit of a mixture of personalities and I wasn’t sure never quite sure who she was throughout… I think I couldn’t wrap my brain around the Mack we meet in present time to the Mack she was in the girl band… they felt like completely different characters but maybe that was the point?

Serena was a bitch through and through and I stand by that. I didn’t like her from first to last page and I don’t think their reckoning was big enough for the shit she had put Mack through… her reasons were stupid and there friendship was surface. If I was supposed to feel empathy towards her, it missed.

Overall, I think it was a really cute easy read. Not horrible by any means, but probably not one I’d personally pick up in stores.

Books where music is its own character is so hard to express because you need the music to really understand. I think similarly to Daisy Jones and the Six - this would be more compelling in tv or movie form where we get to hear the songs too.
The author did a good job with not having a soundtrack!

This is my first adult novel my Emma Lord and I loved it! I haven’t personally read any of her YA books but I’ve heard nothing but great things about them.

This book was such a fun concept. I loved the music aspect of it and the lovers to ex’s to lovers trope. It didn’t feel like a carbon copy of other books I’ve read and felt really unique. Definitely recommend.

Thank you to the author and Netgalley for a copy of this book. This was a fun read outside of my normal genre. I found it fun all the way through with likeable characters. Can't wait to read more by this author!

As my first Emma Lord Novel, this won’t be my last. While many people in the romance Genre now enjoy a spicy book, this one delivers just the right amount of fun and charm for me.
I am a true Enemy to lovers person and this book delivers while beings so respectful to their characters and their point of views…. Fully executing their past rival and bringing them together in a way that seems realistic

“Life is always changing colors, but what we have is golden.”

Cheesy? Yes. But did I cry and stay up through the night to finish it? Also yes.

I’ve read several of Emma Lord’s books and this one is my favourite. The characters were beautifully dynamic and relatable, from Sam and Mackenzie to the whole ensemble, that I sped through predictable conflicts to see how it ended. I especially loved the female friendships in this. There were second chances for a lot of relationships and I was drawn in and devoted to each one.

This is for fans of Daisy Jones and the Six or Taylor Jenkins Reid, with a Nashville-esque spin. It was a really fun, and sometimes emotional, peak behind the curtain of pop stars in the age of social media.

4 stars because I loved it but there were a few points (mainly in the middle of Parts that this book is broken into) where I felt myself skimming.

“It’s never too late for a comeback”. It was mentioned that if you liked Daisy Jones & The Six you’d like this one too & I agree! This was the first book I have read by Emma Lord & I found it entertaining! I loved the female friendships and found family aspects. I thought the second chance romance was sweet & the characters likable! This was an easy read that flowed nicely. A great summer read that will leave you feeling warm & fuzzy on the inside!

Thank you Netgalley & St. Martin’s Griffin for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was my first adult book by Emma Lord (love her YA stuff) and it was amazing. I am such a sucker for a book about musicians and this book did not disappoint. Mackenzie and Sam were such great characters and their chemistry was spot on. Their transformation from enemies to lovers was excellent, as was their banter. I also really loved the supporting characters, particularly Mackenzie's former bandmates and Sam's blended family. The perfect blend of sweet, spicy, and funny, this will be such a fun summer read!

For the Record is a dual POV romance that follows Mackenzie Waters and Sam Blaze, two former bandmates with a shared past and very different musical paths. Mackenzie, once a member of a pop girl group, and Sam, a punk rock frontman, haven’t spoken in two years. But when their careers unexpectedly intertwine, they're forced to collaborate—whether they like it or not. Sparks fly, both emotional and professional, as they confront unresolved tensions, past regrets, and the undeniable chemistry that still lingers between them.

Although some might call this an enemies-to-lovers story, it landed for me much more as a second chance romance. I genuinely loved it. This was my first Emma Lord novel, and I’m now eager to explore the rest of her work. The characters' internal monologues felt authentic and intimate, and the banter had a rhythm that reminded me of a favorite song you want to play on repeat. I found myself smiling, holding my breathe, and even catching those classic romance butterflies right alongside the characters.

Beyond the romance, the book does a thoughtful job of exploring the pressures and beuracracy of the music industry. It felt grounded in a real-world lens that added depth to an already engaging story. Lord balances this complexity with warmth and humor, making For the Record both heartwarming and relevant. Honestly, if this were to be made into a movie, I’d be first in line to watch it and download the soundtrack.

Many thanks to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest and unbiased review. If you love music, second chances, and a romance with genuine heart, this one belongs on your shelf.

For some reason, I couldn’t get into this. I though the premise would hook me, but the writing was a bit too all over the place for me.

Loved this new Emma Lord. Gave me some Honey meets Daisy Jones vibes all set in our more modern time period. Would have liked more depth between the Thunder Heart ladies - perhaps more time on their backstory but otherwise a solid summer beach read.

This is my second Emma Lord romance and I really loved it. Her dialogue is witty, and the characters have depth and maturity. I enjoyed the second chance romance aspect as well as the dual point of view, and while I’m not a fan of the miscommunication trope, it was barely there in this novel and resolved quickly. I got into the plot immediately and read it in less than a day. I can definitely see more Emma Lord romances in my reading future. Thank you to the publisher, author, and NetGalley for this wonderful ARC

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

Lighthearted, mildly entertaining and extremely corny. This book reads like a romcom from the early 2000s.