Emma Lord is back with a new adult romance that takes readers into the world of music and romance. I love a book with star-crossed music stars, so this checked a lot of boxes for me. Pop princess Mackenzie Waters and punk rockstar Sam Blaze were part of a media play, but their chemistry was anything but fake. When they reunite two years later, they have to decide if love is worth the risk. Lord also explores some themes of the music industry on the business side that fans of Taylor Swift will find familiar.

Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for sharing this book with me.

This was so so cute!
It’s definitely been inspired by Taylor Swift, especially all the songs about her ex-lovers, but the relationship between the two bands reminded me more of Sum 41 and Avril Lavigne or that era of punk and pop. I also got Josie and the Pussycats vibes. I loved the love story. I also loved the other relationships (friendships and family ones); she managed to pack a lot of growth arcs into a short time period. If you like celebrity romances, especially singer-songwriter ones, you will probably love this.

2.5
Taylor Swift meets A Star is Born.
Fine, just not memorable other than the fact that the word wry or wryly was used more in 300 pages than I see throughout the year.

This is basically how every pop princess in the early 2000s hoped their favourite couples would reconnect haha it was a great, well written story that will tug at your Millennial heartstrings

I love second chance romance stories and For the Record had the potential to be a really good one, but it fell flat for me. Overall the book and the characters are vanilla and therefore not very memorable. There is a lot of telling and not of a lot showing, which leaves a lot of questions about motivations. The conflicts are weak and I never really understood why anyone was behaving the way they were. I found the book to be too repetitive and most issues could be resolved with a conversation.

This is the first book I’ve read by Emma Lord and the writing is, juvenile and gives fanfic vibes. Aside from the couple of spicy scenes this is a YA book, which I now understand is her usual genre. It tries to be edgy by using the word ‘damn’ for emphasis. All it does is emphasize it is being used as a crutch. I was so tired of reading the word damn that I was ready to throw my damn Kindle across the room.

All of that being said, For the Record *is* entertaining and will be perfect for a day lounging in your chaise with a cold drink. This might not have been my cup of tea, but I suspect the YA readers looking for something with a little steam will love this one. I prefer a book that lets you really get into the head of the characters and makes you feel something. Sadly, For the Record only left me feeling empty.

Thank you to publisher, St. Martin’s Griffin and St. Martin’s Press for providing the digital ARC of For the Record via NetGalley. I voluntarily read and reviewed For the Record, all thoughts are my own.

Thank you so much to the publisher, author, and NetGalley for the early chance to read and review “For The Record.”

While I have really enjoyed other books by this author, this one did not work for me as well as some of her other books. I found the premise to be overly complicated - two recently broken up bands, band members, an app, a mystery identity, etc - that it was hard to connect with the central couple. 3 stars.

3.75 stars. This was a cute, spicy rivals/antagonists-to-lovers, sort-of second chance adult romance from Emma Lord. I had the ebook and the audiobook. The audiobook was dual narration from Andrew Eidan and Jesse Vilinsky. It was well done and made for an enjoyable reading experience.

Mackenzie and Sam were in rival bands who toured together when they were younger and would ham up their antagonism on stage to feed the dynamic and get the crowd worked up. Now, a few years after both bands are no more, they’re both working on solo projects and get roped into becoming a duo in order for their label to put any power behind the project. Their “almost”, “what if” chance at a romance finally gets its opportunity as they work closer together.

Mackenzie and Sam were both individually interesting characters with a lot of depth to their stories. I enjoyed learning more about Mackenzie as she grew into her new self and let go of her past hurts. I also enjoyed Sam’s relationship with his son, Ben. Without having a dad in his life, he seemed to be doing a great job to put his son first and be the kind of dad he would have wanted. As a couple, I thought Mackenzie and Sam worked well, though I felt like they often — in both the past and present — continually got in their own way. The third act conflict was especially frustrating because it felt somewhat forced.

There were things going on for both Mackenzie and Sam on the periphery of their relationship with secondary characters that simultaneously added to the story yet felt a bit underdeveloped for me. I could see what the purpose was but the focus could have been narrowed and more effective.

Overall, I enjoyed this one. Thank you to St. Martin’s Griffin and Macmillan Audio via NetGalley for the eARC and ALC respectively.

Following events which upended their worlds, Mackenzie and Sam are both ready to make their musical comebacks when the record label suggests they make it together. Force into spending time together, old feelings are reawakened. Perhaps this second chance will also be a second chance for love.

I am a lover of second chances, and I had no problem rooting for these two. Both left the music industry for different reasons, but they were ready to be a part of that world. Sam had taken time out to be a dad to one of the most precious book-children, but Mackenzie had a bigger hurtle. A necessary surgery left her with a voice that was different from the one that made her a star. She had that physical and mental challenge to overcome as she adjusted to her new sound. It was great the way they were embarking on this journey together, and it ended up being rather eye-opening for them both.

Lord never fails to pack humor and snappy banter into her books, and all that was well represented in For the Record. She also assembled a great cast of supporting characters. I already mentioned how much I adored Sam's son, but the moms and Mack's bandmates were all great too. They had this dynamic, that was a little muddied at first, but cleared up as the story wore on.

The music and mayhem were big parts of this tale but so was the character's personal growth. Sam and Mack were nursing some deep wounds which they both dealt with in different ways. Once they freed themselves from their past, they were ready to tackle their future, together.

Overall, I had a lot of fun with Mack and Sam as joined forces for a both a musical and romantic comeback.

Lord immerses the reader in a vibrant and deeply emotional story between two old flames navigating their new normals to get back to each other. Weaving in a music industry setting and layered with complex friendship dynamics, For The Record is a book for the heart.

For someone who loves following the music industry, this romance was a dream for me to read. Add in the fact that it is a second chance romance? Even better! Sam and Mackenzie show a lot of growth that translates into some really good chemistry between them. There were funny parts between characters, which contributed to this being a light, fun read. I did find some of this to be a bit lacking in terms of what might really happen in the music industry. Otherwise, great overall read to add to your TBR. Thanks for Netgalley for my advanced eARC.

I really enjoyed this book! I’ve read four books by Emma Lord so far (The Break-Up Pact, The Getaway List, The Rival, and For the Record) and this is definitely my favorite!

I wasn’t sure what to expect with it being about two rival music artists as books about music artists isn’t always my favorite. However, this one gave me all the feels. I loved both main characters and the relationship between them. I also enjoyed the subplots included in the book. Some might think they took away from the overall plot but I feel they definitely added to them.

I loved reading about the relationship between Mackenzie and Sam as it developed throughout the book. There were so many quotes in the book that gave me a warm fuzzy feeling. Even though I knew the book was going to have a happy ending (after all, it’s a romance book!), I was still nervous throughout as the characters were faced with more challenges keeping them apart. Sam was a definite favorite as I loved reading about his relationship with his son.

Overall, I felt this was a great read. It was full of challenges, struggles, humor, and sweet moments. It is definitely one I would recommend!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press | St. Martin's Griffin for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

For the Record is a cute and light-hearted, slow burn, second chance, romance novel. Sam is the front man of Candy Shard, a punk rock band. He has a 4 year old son, Ben from a former fling, and is navigating parenthood along with a complicated relationship with his estranged father. Mackenzie (aka Seven) is a former member of pop group, Thunder Hearts, who has been anonymously sharing her new music and is at risk of losing it all if she doesn’t reveal her true identity. Sam and Mackenzie are brought back together by their record label and forced to work together on a new collaborative album. Along with their relationship, there is drama and conflict with their music label, as well as complex outside relationships they are both navigating. I enjoyed reading this story and would definitely read other work from this author in the future. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read For the Record before publication in exchange for an honest review.

It could have been great…

The premise was there. Mackenzie Waters is a former girl and pop star that had an old rivalry with Sam Blaze and now are back both trying new things with their careers that put them in each other’s lives again. Maybe this time they will get it right?

I think the biggest thing for me was the chemistry just didn’t feel there or real. Lack luster, perhaps. Overall the characters were insufferable and there wasn’t anything that redeemed it.
Sorry.
A few other things that made me groan… it felt like the author should have gotten paid for how many product placements there were and I should have gotten paid for all the annoying things like “ticktune” and barely veiled reiterations of people, places and products that are real but couldn’t be directly used…

Emma Lord has been a hit or miss author for me and unfortunately this is in the later category…

The narrators did a good job.

Thanks to netgalley and Macmillan audio for an alc

ARC review

4,25 stars

As I enjoyed Emma Lord's YA books I was looking forward to reading this book.

I received an ARC from St. Martin's Press (via Netgalley).
Opinions from this review are completely my own.

What you can expect:
- second chance romance
- musicians (pop star and rock band member)
- dual POV
- slow burn
- forced proximity
- female friendships
- found family
- secret identity

I like romances with musicians and the fact that they are both singers is a bonus.
Mackenzie and Sam were part of rival bands (but also in a secret relationship).
After a few years they are asked to write an album together.
They both went through some things during the time they were apart, Sam becoming a father and Mackenzie having issues with her voice (and recording song under an alias).

The fact that they still had feelings for each other was clear, even if they tried to deny it.
I found their story emotional and liked that they had a growth as characters.

The fact that there is a dual perspective was a plus for the story and development of the romance.

If you liked other books by Emma Lord, I also recommend this one.

Oh my! The only word that comes to mind is Bravo! I can’t begin to describe how wonderful this book is! I have fallen so in love with Sam & Mack! And their whole found family. Don’t just put this on the top of your list to read-hit the one click buy button NOW! Yes, right now! Thank you Ms Lord for an amazing, heartfelt story!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4 stars

For the Record was such a fun ride! Emma Lord delivers another charming YA story—this time set against the backdrop of music, fame, and complicated feelings. I absolutely loved the behind-the-scenes music industry setting. It added so much energy and heart to the story.

The second chance rivals-to-lovers dynamic was a highlight for me. There’s just something so satisfying about watching two people with a messy history find their way back to each other, especially when there's so much banter, tension, and personal growth along the way.

This one had me smiling, rooting for the characters, and humming songs in my head. A great pick if you love YA romance with emotional beats, strong character arcs, and a whole lot of heart.

Thank you to Emma Lord, St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

I was so excited to get an ARC for an Emma Lord book!! I really enjoy her books! "For the Record" was so fun to read! I loved the characters and the side characters stories were perfect. I felt like they added to the story and didn't take away from it. I also felt like we were able to get a good glimpse into each side characters life and I'm really hoping we can get more stories from Mackenzie's other bandmates. I enjoyed that I was able to really get to know each character and what they were dealing with and how they were trying to navigate this whole new life for themselves and their music. It's so important to have a good friend group and support system and it was nice to see that.

This book was so cute! I really enjoyed it and loved everything about it.

I liked this. It was a solid story, and I enjoyed the characters. However, I think Emma Lord shines with Young Adult stories, and this one wasn't my favorite compared to some of her other books. Still a fun and enjoyable read overall though! 3.5/5

I enjoyed this as a light romance- calling it a rom-com is a stretch, but maybe a second chance? Felt very low-stakes and predictable but I enjoyed Mac finding herself and the duet seeming to rediscover their history through another perspective. I will say at times it felt like there were too many side plots thrown in, but it was enjoyable.

Absolutely adored this book from Emma Lord. Mackenzie is the member of annex popular girl group who is trying to see what she can contribute to the singing world now that her voice had changed after a surgical procedure she kept secret from almost everyone. Sam is an ex punk rocker who left the business behind when he learned he was the father to a four year old boy who helps run a bakery with his son’s moms. Two years after Mackenzie and Sam had an almost fling both still clearly have feeling towards each other when they are forced to create an album together and old secrets begin to bubble up. This book was so fun and such a great rom com to read after work this week!