This was a cute Rom Com! At first, I thought it was gonna be more of YA story, but I quickly figured out that it was not 🤣. I always look forward to a new Emma Lord book, and this did not disappoint!! Can't wait for her next one! Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher for my digital ARC!!

Thanks a lot, NetGalley and St. Martin’s Griffin, for granting me the ARC of this book!

I just finished reading For the Record by Emma Lord, and I loved it. The author speaks for herself to me, as she has written two of my most beloved books, but this one was on another level.

It’s a second-chance romance, but with a fire to it that feels alive. I had been in a huge reading slump for a month, and the first few pages completely drew me in. The book is set in the music industry, providing a very exciting and creative backdrop. I also noticed a strong resemblance to Taylor Swift’s story in the protagonist’s journey, but that might just be me—someone unfamiliar with her might not see it at all.

Mack and Sam share a love that feels beautiful but also very complicated. The way their story unfolds, blending past and present through memories rather than flashbacks, is something I really enjoyed. I’m not a fan of full chapters set in the past.

Beyond that, every character contributes meaningfully to the narrative. They all play an important role. I especially loved Ben—I honestly think it’s impossible not to!

I really loved the tension between Sam and Mackenzie but I I think the third act moved a bit too fast compared to the slow build of the beginning two thirds of the book

Such a cute, heartwarming read! I laughed. I cried. I yearned right alongside the characters. Emma Lord writes lovable, complex characters so beautifully, you can’t help but root for them throughout the story!

I loved this a lot. Rival bandmates forced to write an album together after both of their bands fell out. Sign me up.

I loved the way this story showed the way that people grow and change. Emma Lord is a great author and knows how to write and relationship and friendship.

This book is full of yearning, honestly the only thing I personally would have liked more of was Mackenzie developing a relationship with Ben. I think that Sam seeing Mack be good with his son would have added the right amount of extra.

I would highly recommend this book if you need a Rivals to Lovers, Forced Proximity novel. It’s a great read.

A sweet second chance romance with a hint of enemies to lovers. Plenty of beautiful heart-wrenching moments and soothing surprises. A fun cast of best friends and secondary characters I hope Lord will bring to life in future novels.

Loved this one! Thought it was such a great second chance romance and tension and banter was done so well. Enjoyed the character development as well without the themes being too heavy. Serena was a little too unlikable I thought without enough insight into what she was dealing with before you finally got to that portion. Overall thought it was another great fun read!

I wasn't sure how much I would enjoy this to be honest, I love a star-crossed lovers and musician romance but it can be hard to pull off without it becoming cheesy. That being said, I loved this! The beginning reminded me of Daisy Jones and the Six, especially with all of the flashbacks.

Overall, four stars! My only negative is that I wish I had a playlist to listen to with all of the McKenzie and Sam's songs <3

Firstly, thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me access to this ARC. For someone who has loved reading as much and as long as I have, having the opportunity to read ARC's of books I'd kill to get my hands on has been a dream. 

This was my first Emma Lord read, so while I was unfamiliar with her writing style, the cover and description are what drew me in and ultimately, I was not disappointed. 

I enjoyed the insights and growth regarding the internal struggles with both characters as they navigated their feelings, let some of their pasts selves go, and came into the kind of person their present needed them to be.

I also really really loved the concept of the Mack & Sam debut album, "Haunts". While I wish we would've had more of the lyrics to some of the songs they wrote together, I think it was such a unique way of having them launch their duet while also exploring where their stories started to intertwine. I also think the blurring of the past and present in those spaces allowed them the opportunities to reflect on the fun and the feelings they kept buried in the past, while also creating a new experience and ultimately breaking down each other's walls, allowing them to free those feelings from the depths and actually feel them.  

While there were a few text errors (Sam referred to Mack as Sam), a slight irritation that the twins' names were so similar, and a few times where I had to double back to reread a portion due to the way something was worded or how it slipped from past to present, they were very minor drawbacks for me and didn't take away from the whole story. 

Overall, I really truly enjoyed this book and I'm interested in checking out more of Emma's work.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book - I loved the characters, loved the glimpse into the music world, and appreciated that the ups & downs the characters experienced weren't caused by either of them being idiots. That's the quickest way to squander a reader's trust. The characters & their choices made sense. Will look out for more by this author.

Emma Lord does an amazing job at balancing the turbulence of the drama with the warm fuzzy feelings. I could really sympathize with both characters' reasons for stepping back from music and hesitation in jumping back in. I was constantly on edge waiting for the last shoe to drop but enjoying every happy moment. This was a second-chance celebrity romance and the chemistry between Mackenzie and Sam was phenomenal. The only part I wasn't a fan of was the Serena and the label/showcase drama; it felt a little forced and took me out of the story.

Thank you St. Martin's Griffin and NetGalley for providing me with an Advanced Reader's Copy.

Easy and quick read with former band members that have palpable tension. Mackenzie and Sam were fun likeable characters with several funny moments.

I enjoyed this one so much that I went and reserved a couple of other Emma Lord books at the library!

Thank you NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press and St. Martin’s Griffin for the eARC

Another fantastic book from Emma Lord with a great plot and some amazing characters

It hit the spot for what i was looking for!

i really liked this one! really refreshing story. good plot. extremely likeable characters! i love this author's writing and this one was no different. would recommend.

To start, I liked the cover of the book and I thought the synopsis was appealing. It was challenging for me to get going with the book and it read more like a young adult novel to me. The names of the bands, the antics of the characters, and the plot felt aimed at a YA crowd. And if this was a YA book (minus the steamy scenes) I think it would be very successful!

Overall, the book was well written but the narrative choices made did not speak to me or engage me on a deeper level. I thought it was fun and I enjoyed the plot points about independent music and how young artists are at risk in the industry. There were many elements that were enjoyable and engaging but it just felt like it was aimed at a younger reader.

I received an Advanced Copy in exchange for my honest review. Thanks St. Martin's press and Net Galley. Mackenzie and Sam used to be in rival bands that toured together... and now after the bands ended, a couple years, and each having major life changes their record label wants them to work together. It's an enemies to lovers story with lots of little side stories and world building. Super cute and chill, lowish spice and lots of tension. Perfect summer read for music fans.

I think that is one of my least favorite books from Emma Lord. But I still liked it. Her writing voice is just so ingrained into my favorites that this still had me by the throat. I just think the subject matter didn't really appeal to me like her other books. It's still really solid for her writing, though, which I like to see. Thanks, Netgalley, for the early review copy.

Whoever said fans of daisy jones and the six and Emily Henry would love this book wasn’t wrong!
Instead of focusing on a band’s rise to stardom or even their down down fall- Lord focuses on what comes next for pop princess Mackenzie and alternative rocker Sam.
I really like this take on where Mac and Sam were at in their post career phase and how she was able to slowly get us invested in their new blossoming friendship while dropping crumbs of their past history giving us a better understand of what lead to here instead of giving it to us all up front. I felt the dual POVs and having them revisit many of their past locations from when they were in their musical prime elevated the story telling and why these memories really drive their current emotions
I also loved the supporting characters- Hannah seems like such a badass with her growing empire and Ben and his crazy cupcakes offend up great comedic moments.
Side note- the whole ticktunes side story was so creative and realistic I’m surprised it’s not actually an app that can be used

Great and easy read. This was a solid 4 star romance that had a lot of fun elements and likable characters!

This book is perfect if you are looking for a light and fun read!
It's quick to get through, the characters are likable, and even though it is a second-chance romance there is very little drama.

I would have liked to have seen a little bit more emotional depth and character development from Mackenzie and Sam - and the plot was a bit predictable. However - the story was very entertaining and kept me engaged.

It's a great summer book if you're looking for something that isn't too deep.
4 Stars!