This book was fun! The banter and tension were the best part! I thought the relationship between the characters was fun and kept me turning the pages. I loved Ben’s character and thought he added a nice element to the story.

This would be such a good Netflix series!! I really really enjoyed it. It was like… cheetah girls but grown up lol. I just loved it.

This book was adorable from start to finish. Although they have a tumultuous past it’s easy to root for Sam and Mack as soon as you are introduced to them. The intertwining of music with their stories is picture perfect. Add in that this book is marked safe from the third act breakup and we have a winner. Sam Blaze is a top tier book boyfriend and the longing he’s had for years is evident from the start. I was overall very impressed and thrilled to receive an ARC. Definitely put this on your TBR. You won’t regret it.

Once again, Emma Lord brings her compelling writing style and banter-laden stories to the page with For the Record, in what I would describe as her spiciest romance yet. Because yes, it goes there -- if that offends your delicate sensibilities. Not mine, but everyone's preferences are different. It's not overwhelming and overpowering to the plot, though. It's a pretty even and authentic mix. I was so intrigued by the summary alone, and the rest of the book didn't disappoint. Told in dual points of view, Lord's quippy language draws me in. The end, while completely earned and deserved, does feel a tad abrupt pre-epilogue. It was like, 'Boom all works out, here's the HEA.' Just needed a tad more transition to get there.

Thank you St Martin's Press for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

This was a fun, romantic read though some of it was a bit cringey.
I did like the FMC and MMC's growth both personally and professionally. The author does go over some of the crappy things musical artists go through in terms of contracts.

The sizzle and steam were great - on brand for the Waters/Blaze dynamic.
I do sort of wish there had been an added layer to the story, everything was sort of laid out too clearly.

Otherwise, a nice quick read!

Emma Lord is moving away from the YA space, and I love it! Though, this time around the food references were maybe NOT something I'd be down to try... for which I'm mildly disappointed.

For the Record is set in the music world - 2 bands that in their hay-day was each managed by 1 twin (Isla or Twyla) and were often paired together. One way for them to stand out was to create a "rivalry" between the bands. But at the end of the day they were for the most part friendly with one another, except for the 2 lead singers Mac & Sam. Well, more Mac than Sam if we're being honest. And a will-they-or-won't-they fandom evolved.

But that was a long time ago, and now they're both interested in getting back into solo careers that yet again, bring them together in the duet space. And from there we have all the trappings of a 2nd chance romance. And I'm not complaining! Also, I enjoy that there's no big misunderstanding 3rd act breakup - there's a secret that was discussed like adults and a differing of opinion that is handled the way adults should handle things. I'm here for this.

On top of Sam and Mac we have a solid bench of side characters: Mac's band mates: Serena and Hannah; and Sam's family Ben, Lizzie & Kara. Ben is a total scene stealer and I love him. There's also a bit of a tik-tok-esque side story that is probably more akin to the record world than most of us know. Man I wish artists were paid correctly (whatever that means) for their work.

So maybe come for the rock and role vibe, stay for Ben, and avoid the mushroom funfetti cupcakes?! Unless that's your thing - I won't judge!

Ugh. I love Emma lord. Always such a good read. With every book I read, she never disappointed! I give this book 4 out of five stars. It checked off all my required boxes. 1. Make me laugh. 2. Make me smile.

I LOVE Emma's adult novels and her second one in this category is no exception. For the Record is such a fun, feel-good read! The banter is spot-on, and the behind-the-scenes music world made it extra fun. I flew through it and loved every second. If you're into heartfelt stories with a lot of charm (and a great soundtrack vibe), this one’s a must-read!

Likely one of my more favorite nods to pop culture since the Taylor Swift references were minimal (No offense to the Wibbroka fandom, just a bit much).

Mack and Sam were former band rivals (I think? They might have been in one, big Fleetwood Mac-esque thing?) before drama I don't remember drove them both to leave music entirely. I think Mack's was because of a health related issue, and Sam's was because he suddenly found out he was a dad (even the mom didn't realize he was the dad until a DNA project in school-- I was glad when I found it out wasn't something malicious). Then their record labels want them to reemerge into the music scene. One issue: Mack never left-- she's just been publishing music under a fake name on a TikTok like app.

Don't get me wrong, I don't think Emma Lord can write anything poorly. However, I didn't love this one as much as I wanted to love it. I didn't find Sam the cinnamon roll bad boy I think I was supposed to find him. But again, give me an Emma Lord book that has nods to NYC, and I will be pricing the best way to get there faster than you can recreate whatever dessert the Dessert Gremlin of NYC chose to focus on in her book.

3 ⭐️

I enjoyed this! I thought that the characters were sweet and the storyline was cool! It was a fun time!

However, I did have some issues with it. I thought that some of the drama with Mackenzie and her friends, especially Serena, was kind of childish and annoying. There was a section of the book where Sam and Mackenzie’s relationship was completely unclear and a weird friends-with-benefits-but-also-i-love-you-and-you-love-me-but-we-can’t-say-it-for-some-nonexistent-reason. I just wanted some communication and honesty in all of these situations. Figure it out like adults please. I get that it adds to the plot, but for me, it was just annoying, and missed the mark.

I know it sounds like I didn’t enjoy it from that, but genuinely, I thought it was fun, and I truly did feel the love between the characters. I think the childhood rivals to lovers situation was really cute too.

I enjoyed reading this book! I don’t really read books about musicians/pop-stars so this was a nice introduction. I loved reading about the chemistry between the two. The only thing I wasn’t a fan of was that there was more explaining rather than dialogue and I’m picky about that in the books I like. I’m also a sucker for forced/close proximity so that helped.

Thank you NetGalley and St Martins Press for giving me an ARC of this book, it was honestly the perfect pallet cleanser from all the dark/heavy books I tend to read. I do love a good rom-com and although I don’t usually read pop-star romance, I was drawn to this one and it did not disappoint. This was cute, cozy and all wrapped up perfectly with great MC’s that left me in all my feels. It was my first Emma Lord book, but I’ll definitely be checking out her other books based on how much I loved this!

⭐️⭐️⭐️ 3/5 stars – Cute but didn’t totally hit

this book had some sweet moments. i especially loved ben, sam’s son. he was adorable and added warmth to the story. there were fun scenes and a chill vibe, but it didn’t fully pull me in. some parts felt slow, and the characters could’ve had more depth. overall, a light, easy read, but not super memorable.

I really love this! The plotting and pacing was so well done. The fictional social media aspect was fun and not cheesy at all. I really loved all the relationship especially the Thunder Hearts girls! It was emotional, romantic, tense, flirty, and heartwarming all at the same time!

This was a good lighthearted read!

I haven’t found many music romances so I was excited for this one. I enjoyed the story and the authors writing

I look forward to reading more from this author!! Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC copy!

For the Record gives us the story of Mackenzie and Sam who were both popular lead singers in rival rock bands who toured together. Their fans adored their on stage hot and angry relationship until both bands broke up. Two years later the record label is pushing them back together and the heat re ignites.

There were a number of things I enjoyed about this one. I liked the growth our main characters showed and how they both handled major changes in their lives with the help of good friends who made interesting side characters.
I also enjoyed the strong female friendship storyline. I did feel like there was a slow middle of the story where I just wanted these characters to communicate better which I found frustrating.
Nevertheless if you enjoy light romances with a musical theme I would encourage you to give this one a try.

Thank you to net galley and St. Martins Press for the egalley of this book.

For the Record is what other romances with musician MCs dream to be. This book is funny, light hearted, and so entertaining. It’s also emotional and beautiful and made me cry. Mackenzie and Sam are the sweetest couple and I loved every moment of them. I also really appreciated how all the drama revolved around other characters and life events, not third act break ups. This was a perfect second chance romance, one where I was actually rooting for the characters to have their HEA. I loved every detail of this book, from Mackenzie’s Christmas underwear to the character arcs around Ben and Caspar, to the showcase and the epilogue. This was such a great read and the best book Emma Lord has written so far!

This book was pretty good! I got to read it as an early release. It was a romance story that didn’t really have any unexpected romance drama, but it had wild drama in the story. I have never read a music romance, and I really liked it gave a break from sports but a good romance.

This was a DNF after the first few chapters, was a miss for me seems to be more for a younger audience. Was not able to really connect with either character and the story just didn't grab me. Would always recommend for someone to give it a try but wasn't the one for me. I want to thank NetGalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

T his was such a fun blend of music, rivalry, and second chances. The dynamic between Mackenzie and Sam had the perfect mix of angst and chemistry, and I loved watching them try to navigate a comeback while dealing with their past. The behind the scenes music drama made everything feel vivid and high stakes, and the emotional growth especially around parenthood and identity really gave the story heart. A couple plot points felt a little over the top, but overall, it was a satisfying, heartfelt rom-com with just enough drama to keep me hooked.