Emma Lord has created another stellar story with “For the Record.” Former pop star Mackenzie Waters and punk band front man Sam Blaze had a pretend-but-real rivalry back in the day, and while sparks flew on stage, drama brewed in the back. Now, two years later with some major life changes, they are pushed together again by their label, and a rom com for the ages ensues.

I liked the characters. Mackenzie Waters was fun and bright, while harboring all-too-relatable doubts and insecurities, making her relatable despite being a Taylor Swift pretty and Taylor Swift famous singer. Meanwhile, Sam is coping with his own mistakes and family drama, giving both characters realistic places to grow and to support one another. Emma Lord is a deft hand at plot, and she keeps the story moving with interesting twists, making a believable but still surprising storyline.

I’ve enjoyed every Emma Lord book I’ve read, and I wholeheartedly recommend this one for fans of Emily Henry, Pop Princess, and K-Pop Confidential. It hits just the right notes!

I was so excited to see the premise of this book - two rock stars reunited after the years, despite the (smoldering) “hate” that lingers between them? Sign me up!

It was an easy read in that the writing style flowed, the side characters were interesting, and the pacing kept you involved. However, it started to lose my interest a little in the middle.

Thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Having read a,few books by Emma Lord, I'm never surprised how good they are. There is always good character development, funny banter among love interests and just a good feeling storyline. I enjoyed this book and feel that this author knows what it takes to get all the feels of , laughter, sadness etc. I recommend the book For the Record to readers who enjoy books by Abby Jimenez, Emily Henry, Taylor Jenkins Reid and Carley Fortune

Liked the Taylor Swift vibes but couldn't connect with the characters. I have enjoyed other YA books by the same author, but maybe this one just wasn't for me.

Such a sweet second chance romance, it was fast and full of emotion. I loved how vulnerable, open, and mature these characters are. The dynamic and dialogue between Sam and Mackenzie is so delightful, and I especially loved seeing Sam when he was a father.

For some reason when it comes to second chance romance I usually prefer only one pov, so we can really connect with the main character and have only their experience, but the dual pov works really well here!

The found family is great and lots of yearning and tension. The miscommunication isn’t overly done, and made sense here. But, I wish there was a little less focus on the subplots and more of Mackenzie and Sam's personal growth to provide more depth to the story.

4.25 stars

I love celebrity romance books so much! This book was so adorable and a fun, quick read. Mackenzie is a very Taylor Swift coded character, and I love how the author portrayed her. There was a lot of chemistry between the two main characters, and the ending was satisfying.

Thank you for NetGalley for sending me an e-ARC of this book!

I love her books so much and this one gave you everything her books give you and more. The perfect books for anyone who loves romcoms.

Thank you to NetGalley and St, Martin’s Press for an advanced e-copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. For The Record by Emma Lord was a good second chance romance to get me in the mood for summer reading. I love a good dual POV book so I was very happy to read parts from Mack and Sam PLUS the emotional aspect to the book was well done. At times the book seemed a bit slow and there were a lot of side things happening but otherwise I found it to be enjoyable!

Summary in Brief

Mackenzie Waters and Sam Blaze were once music rivals, until both of their bands fell apart a few years ago. Now, their paths cross again, and they decide to join forces to make the comeback of the century.

Genre + Plot

Tropes: Enemies to Lovers, Second Chance Romance, Single Dad, Forced Proximity, Found Family, Miscommunication

I’ve read some of Emma Lord’s previous novels and really enjoyed them, so I was excited to receive this ARC! What initially drew me to this book was the premise: two former heartthrob stars who played up their rivalry onstage, now teaming up to re-enter the music industry after years away. I could already sense the sexual tension brewing. This book features a lot of cozy romance themes like found family, single parenthood, second chances, and more.

Let’s start with our FMC, Mackenzie. Once a pop sensation, she was part of a band with her two best friends, serving as the lyrical mastermind and the star of every show. After the band broke up, Mackenzie faced medical issues that changed her voice. Now self-conscious and hesitant to perform again, she hides behind an anonymous persona, releasing songs sporadically. Mackenzie’s journey is one of self-reflection, rediscovering her voice and confidence, and confronting unresolved emotions. I really enjoyed her character. She may have had the chaotic pop-star persona, but underneath, she’s incredibly grounded and dealing with very real struggles. She came across as mature and authentic.

Now onto our MMC, Sam Blaze (that name though—lol). He was the lead singer of his own band until he discovered he had a son he never knew about. He dropped everything to become the kind of father he never had. In doing so, he pushed Mackenzie away, thinking it was the right thing to do. His relationship with his son, and the son’s mom, is genuinely heartwarming. They make such a lovely, supportive family unit.

When Mackenzie and Sam meet again after several years, the sexual tension is immediate. Throughout the book, there’s a lot of emotional suppression between them. It’s clear they’re both completely smitten, yet the only ones they manage to fool are themselves which, admittedly, gets a bit frustrating. There’s definitely some miscommunication, both from their past and in the present. Each holds back, assuming the other doesn’t feel the same or that it could never work for one reason or another. It’s a classic trope and one we’ve all seen before.

That said, despite the miscommunication, their emotional progression feels natural. When they do express their feelings, it’s done in an organic and heartfelt way. They’re endlessly supportive of each other and willing to fight for one another. Although there’s conflict toward the end, they’re far more secure in their relationship this time around and manage to overcome the obstacles standing in their way to get their well-earned happily ever after.

Final Thoughts

Overall, this was a fun, fast-paced read filled with enemies-to-lovers tension, second chances, emotional yearning, and a strong found-family element. It made for a cozy, feel-good romance that I thoroughly enjoyed.

Emma Lord is the only author who has accurately described and displayed those young adult relationships/friendships/etc. In all my years of reading. Not sure how, but she just catches that magic. The way she makes you feel like you are right there with them in those little moments is her superpower.

Former music rivals, once clashed on stage as a publicity stunt, but behind the scenes, their tension turned into something more—until their bands fell apart. Now, years later, Sam is a single dad, and Mackenzie hides behind a pseudonym after a career-altering surgery. Their only shot now is a joint album that forces them to confront old wounds, reignite buried feelings, and navigate secrets that could change everything. Will their reunion lead to a chart-topping success—or?

As much as I hoped I'd enjoy this book more, somehow the entire plot simply missed the mark for me, simply because i feel like the characters lacked emotional depth at some points.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

*4.5

This is a cute book. It's fairly cheesy but that's to be expected with an Emma Lord book and I love it. These two have been in love for so long but for their own various reasons they never said anything. I loved seeing them come together now and have a more mature love and understanding for one another.

I received an arc through netgalley.

This book confirmed something that ived been wondering about my reading, and that’s that I’m not a big fan of music in books. That being said I did still enjoy it I liked both main characters and the dual pov really added to the story. There were times where the pacing felt off but overall it was a good read.

This took me a bit to get into, but once I was in, I was in! It took a good month to finish the first 20%, but I read the last 80% in a day.

I liked the concept a lot. I really enjoyed the fact that there wasn’t a 3rd act break up. I actually loved the ending a lot.

I love the writing style of Emma Lord, this is the third book of her’s I’ve read this year. And the story didn’t disappoint.
At first I wasn’t sure this book would be for me because I don’t love the rockstars in love trope. But the characters are so vulnerable and at a very mature state in their lives.

It was a very sweet love story, with great banter and moments that give you chills.

Thank you to St Martin’s Griffin and the author for this ARC via NetGalley

This book is for you if you enjoy:
+Rockstars in love
+Second chances
+Emotionally mature characters
+Clever banter
+Heartfelt but light reads

Really sweet! As a big music fan and someone who has been interested in the industry the setting was unique!

3 ⭐

Mackenzie Waters and Sam Blaze are both talented musicians. Two rival posters are both trying to make a comeback and what better way to do that than make an album together? From the beginning of the story, even though they didn’t technically date when they were younger, you could tell there was just this electric energy between them. They’ve both gone through so many similar experiences together and were able to understand each other on these intimate levels. This story definitely had a lot more depth than I was expecting it to have and it showed that they’re just human like everyone else despite coming from families of fame. I love that Mackenzie got to got on her own little journey within the book and reconnect with mom. The dual pov was actually one of my favorite parts of the book because we got to see inside both of the characters heads. I think that Mackenzie and Sam were really able to see each other through and through which is how they fell for each other so much harder.

For the Record is a sweeping romance about forgiveness and second chances. About how sometimes the right person has been there the whole time, but the timing was just never right. Sometimes a second-chance romances just hits so hard and Emma Lord has most definitely figured out the formula.

While I absolutely adored Sam & Mackenzie’s dynamic. There’s something to be said for the female friendships in this book as well. Relationships of all kinds can be so complicated and the author did such a great job of capturing that. The dynamic between the Thunder Hearts felt so authentic. Even though Serena & Mack were fighting they very obviously still cared for each other.

This story definitely had me in the feels and I would recommend it to everyone! Not to mention it was dual pov which is honestly just one of my favourite things of all time. I want to SEE that man pine. If you like found family, self discovery and second chances romance- I think you’ll love this one.

I am so enchanted by the characters and the plot. I wish I could be a part of this story because I felt very welcomed reading it. Definitely one of my best reads of the year. Thank you for the early opportunity. 🥺❤️

For The Record was a great second chance romance. Mackenzie and Sam are both members of bands that met years ago and hated each other. meeting again changes all that when they decide to become a duet.

Thank you Net Galley and St Martins Griffin for the arc.