I wanted to love this one more than I did. It has a LOT of great things -- the Daisy Jones-esque musical scene vibes are excellent, loved the dueling bands vibes between the pop sensation Thunder Hearts and pop punk Candy Shards. I love a girl group generally so I was all in on Thunder Hearts. Mackenzie is a likeable MC and Sam is hot. But this book tries to do a bit too much. Like Mackenzie has the fight with Serena AND she's Seven but no one can know AND she had this major vocal surgery (which by the way was seriously giving Pitch Perfect "I have nodes") and thus is all self conscious about her voice AND she's trying to strike it out on her own but INEXPLICABLY her label isn't into it??? Meanwhile Sam is trying it as a solo artist (and failing) AND he had a secret child (where it honestly doesn't really make sense how it took so long to figure this out) AND he has a tortured relationship wiht his very famous absentee dad? And every single one of those things erupts into fairly epic drama at the end of the book? I had plot quibbles in the beginning (the insistence of the label on the duo made no sense, Serena and Mackenzie's relationship was super convoluted) but I was bought in to the vibes and was having a great time so I could overlook them. But the third act just completely lost me.

I love Emma Lord, I love love love her YA books but everything in this felt like a YA book in a setting that didn't fit? But also I'm not a second chance girlie and this book has like seven different iterations of that trope so maybe it's on me!

Thanks so much to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

In a way, I feel like I've grown up on Emma Lord's books. In 2020 (I believe), I read Tweet Cute, and it got me back into reading at the age of 12. I am now 17 and am reading her adult books, which is really weird to think about.

For the Record is an enemies-to-lovers, second chance romance with a fantastic cast of characters. Not only do we have two fantastic leads, but the friends and other side characters all feel nicely fleshed out, and I'd love to see interconnected standalones with them.

Emma Lord's books are always fantastic reads for any season, but this one is a great summer read.

Out August 12th, 2025
The story follows a teen girl who lands a gig as the lead singer of a rising indie band. Sounds glamorous, right? But behind the scenes, it’s messy: creative clashes, romantic tension, and the pressure of being in the spotlight while still figuring out who you are. Lord captures the chaos and thrill of the music world with authenticity and heart.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and St. Martin's Griffin for the ARC!

Thank you NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

For the record is a light and cute romance that uses dual POV with the FMC and MMC. The story itself is about two performers from former rival bands who come together to propose a duet. I found it to be a medium pace read which doesn't provide too much to stand out too much from other lighthearted romance books. I didn't particularly feel compelled by the conflicts in the books, which led to my "take it or leave it" attitude towards this book.

The premise of this book sounded fantastic— joint comeback album between pop princess and punk rockstar who were previously rivals. I enjoyed both MC’s backstories and how their lives have shifted since the height of their careers. Sam is living a quiet life raising the son he didn’t know he had, while Mackenzie is dealing with a postoperative change in her voice.

However, I felt like the romance here fell flat - I didn’t feel connected to these characters. They were together so quickly, that it felt like it impacted the pacing of the rest of the story - making certain sections feel slow. I needed more yearning and angst, especially in a second chance romance!

I really enjoyed this book so much! I couldn’t wait to see what happened next with Mackenzie and Sam! There were definitely a few moments where I was about to yell JUST TALK TO EACH OTHER, but I think it was done well so you didn’t see it as much else than a slow burn tension! I really loved this concept! It was so original! I didn’t want the story to end, but the epilogue was absolute PERFECTION!

Thank you St. Martin's Press for the copy of this book.
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Read if you like: enemies to lovers, second chance romance
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Mackenzie and Sam used to be on tour together, and they used to be enemies, with some feelings in the mix. Two years later, the label wants the two to make music together, which might prove difficult with all the baggage they have.
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This was a cute and fun romance. I loved how Sam and Mackenzie were forced to work together and therefore forced to deal with their feelings for each other. The music scene was also fun and I liked reading about Mackenzie and Sam making music and their flashbacks to being on tour!

For the Record is a romance set in the world of music! Mackenzie Waters is a pop star, and Sam Blaze is a pop rocker who were 'rivals' on stage, yet they always had chemistry off stage. They both made sweet music separately, but will they make sweet music together when they meet years later? I enjoy Emma Lord's romance novels and was thrilled to dive into For the Record! Would this book be music to my ears or would it hit a flat note?

Two years have gone by, and Sam is helping raise a son he never knew he had while Mackenzie has dealt with a surgery which changed her voice. As a result, she has been singing under a pseudonym. Both are looking to make a comeback and are presented with an opportunity to make a new album together.

As with all romance books, it is all about the journey for me. Both characters have gone through their individual journeys and are continuing to do so. When they met up again, that same attraction and chemistry is still there. I enjoyed getting both of their POV's which was a nice touch as readers get to know each a little better!

While I found this book to be enjoyable and the characters well drawn, I didn't quite love it as much as I thought I would. What I did enjoy was how both characters were working on their own issues and how their issues affected their relationships. I also like how this book took on second chances in many forms - a second change in their musical career, and a second chance to see where their chemistry took them. This was just missing that little bit of something that I can't put my finger on that would have pushed my rating higher. Don't get me wrong, this is an enjoyable book with likeable couples dealing with real life issues. I enjoyed it, just didn't love it.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press | St. Martin's Griffin and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.

This book is a melting pot of tropes (think second chances, hidden identities, forced proximity, single fatherhood, a FMC with a medical condition, an unforgettable swimming lesson, found family, and fabulous female friendships) that somehow melt together perfectly, hitting all the right chords (pun absolutely intended). Emma Lord has nailed it with this second chance romance starring pop rock stars who are supposedly rivals, though with all that sizzling tension, you might wonder if they really are. The main characters are quirky, lovable, and come with their own emotional baggage that they're trying to sort out. It was cool to see an FMC with Hashimoto’s, especially because someone I love very much lives with it too. Overall, it’s a good escape read, balancing light-hearted fun with just the right touch of emotional depth and spice.

Two former rival rockstars trying to make a comeback by creating an album together. Learning to work together and seeing the truth behind the mask each person puts on. Like any other romance, the more time they spend together, the more they develop true genuine feelings for one another.

This was a good book and a very cute second vhance romance but I can't really say it was anything special either. The writing like any other Emma Lord book is very well done and very beautiful writing. But the story itself didn't feel all that different from any other second chance romance. There's nothing that really made it stand out.

If you were at all a fan of the pop punk era then I would highly recommend this just because it gives you all of the nostalgic feels of two former pop punk band members trying to restart their career in the modern day. I was getting all sorts of throwback vibes and I loved it.

I enjoyed it. The chemistry between the characters is palpable. Love good banter. All of the characters were distinct and I was never bored.

Thank you to #NetGalley and #MacmillanAudio for an advance listening copy of #ForTheRecord. Two recording industry rivals find love. Four stars.

Two years after breaking up with her band, Mackenzie Waters is releasing new music anonymously on a viral social media app. While former bandmate Hannah is still a positive in her life, their former bandmate Serena has paused her tour and is acting super sketchy. Add in the fact that Sam Blaze, former lead and former crush, is back in her life and all hell breaks loose.

For the Record is an enemies to lovers, dual point of view with a romcom vibe because of all the witty banter. Juggling the past with the present and the future, there is a lot to unpack for Mackenzie and Sam. Also, author Emma Lord, included Hashimoto's representation which I particularly connected with because it is an autoimmune disease that affects the thyroid and runs in my family. So extra cool points for that!

Thank you SMP Romance for the gifted copy.

Thanks to Netgalley & St. Martin's Press for the
E-ARC! So cute! Loved the characters & the music references. Another great book from this author!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing my access to your content and allowing me to review it! The beginning had me scared as it felt super cheesy at first, but I was left pleasantly surprised! First off, MMC was definitely giving me Rufus vibes from Gossip Girl. FMC, very likable, was super into her journey. The Characters felt very real and their struggles were also interesting. I appreciated that all their fights did not feel dumb and like it was because they were making stupid mistakes, they felt very human. I would have loved a little more character development, I feel as if there was even more room for growth even over the growth that was seen. Ben was 100% the best character in my opinion! I can definitely say I recommend.

I love most of the books I read from Emma Lord, but this wasn't my favorite. It felt redundant at times, and the puns were really excessive. I was surprised when I saw the page count because the book felt way longer. The story was still sweet overall, though.

Mack and Sam, former lead signers in rival bands, spent their twenties in touring together and fueling rumors of a “will they, won’t they” romance. But for the past two years, both stepped away from the spotlight. That is until a chance run in aided by some behind the scenes scheming from their agents lands them back together to make a duet album that could resurrect their careers… and reignite unresolved feelings.

FOR THE RECORD has Emma Lord’s trademark banter, subtle pop culture references, and charm. While it is marketed for fans of “Daisy Jones and the Six,” I want to be clear that this book is a romcom. It pulls the best elements from both the enemies to lovers and second chance romance tropes even though they don’t easily fit into the box of each trope. Fans of Lord’s previous work will enjoy FOR THE RECORD, and I recommend you pick it up in your favorite format!

Thank you Griffin for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

For the Record combines rivals to lovers and second-chance romance (I thought I didn't like second chance, but I really do think I'm beginning to). It follows Mackenzie, who was a member of a pop girl group, and Sam, a former member of a punk rock band, several years after both their careers unceremoniously ended. The book alternates between Mackenzie's and Sam's POVs, so we learn about the sparks that flew between them on stage even as their bands seemed to be rivals, how that all fell apart, and how they cope with being in each other's lives again.

Both looking to make a comeback, they decide to collaborate on a joint album. This added a nice forced proximity element to the story as they learn how to work together, but more importantly, it forced both Mackenzie and Sam to confront their pasts. Secrets are exposed, past events are cast in entirely new lights, and both of them are cast in new lights as sparks fly. I also liked the exploration into the life-changing circumstances that led both characters to where they ended up, and how they deal with that. There is also some discussion around exploitation in the music industry, which adds a nice layer of depth to the story without taking the focus off of the romance.

3 stars

You know that mystery chest of prizes in kindergarten? You could pull out a backscratcher. Maybe it's a fun size candy bar. Maybe it's a Garbage Pail Kids card that you can use as leverage with your brothers for a chore swap. Maybe...it's a hard, unbreakable stick of fossilized gum. You don't know what it's going to be and the answer could range from magical to horrible. That sums up my relationship to Emma Lord's books. I've read every one of them. Why? Well because I never know what I'm getting. It's a true Labubu experience, to put it in more modern terms. Will I love it? Find it just okay? Struggle to get through it? It's always a mystery I'm confusingly dying to solve.

For me, Sam and Mackenzie fall squarely in the middle of that treasure chest of prizes. This is a relatively short book but it feels long at times because the exact same predictable thing is happening all along. Are these likeable characters? Well, enough. Was I really rooting for them? Not that much. They've had this outcome in mind for a long time, and it's obvious how things will evolve.

Readers looking for a straightforward, uncomplicated romance between musicians with a past will enjoy this. I wanted something a bit more special feeling to come out of here, whether that was about the characters being more intriguing/complicated, a reveal (one I was invested in) of some kind, more passion... But it's engaging enough, for the most part.

Will this lackluster experience stop me from reading more Emma Lord? Nothing can.

Thank you NetGalley & St Martin's Press for the eARC of For the Record

2.5 Stars

Former music industry rivals Mackenzie (pop) and Sam (punk) reunite after 2 years of silence to revive their careers via a joint album. As they work together to write a new album, sparks are reignited and past pains are brought to light. Will Sam and Mack be able to revive their careers? Will they be able to forgive their past mistakes in order to find happiness together?

This book was fine. It was relatively quick paced and the music plot was entertaining. It made me a little nostalgic thinking back to the days of girl/boy bands and catchy music that was a staple to my childhood.

Both of these characters were in their upper 20s/early 30s but seemed so immature to me and they all sucked at communication. I appreciate the emotional journey both Mack and Sam went on and how they were able to explore the potential of being together permanently, but it was hard for me to connect with it. I also found the names of the bands and some other elements super cringey (Thunder Hearts? Candy Shard? Neon bucket hats to be more "discreet" in public? Come on). And as someone who has no idea how the music industry works, I really had a hard time with the Tick Tune and Seven aspect and found the pseudonym storyline kind of frustrating.

Overall, it was fine. I feel like this book could be more targeted for the YA crowd if the spicier scenes were revamped/removed.