Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I love a rockstar trope. Mackenzie Waters is a former pop star (alongside her best friends) and Sam Blaze is a former rockstar. Their bands had a manufactured rivalry for years. Then Sam dropped out of the spotlight to raise the son he didn’t know he had, and Mackenzie had health issues that changed her voice. Now they’re starting over as friends and music partners. Sparks, of course, flu.

I liked the concept and I liked the characters. There was just something missing in the middle 1/3 of the book. They just sort of came together suddenly and without much explanation. The pacing was a little uneven throughout.

But it was a quick read and for the most part, I enjoyed the story.

If you love music, romance, and second chances, you have to pick up For the Record! Mackenzie Waters and Sam Blaze were once music’s biggest rivals—pop princess vs. punk rocker, always at each other’s throats. But behind the scenes? Let’s just say there was more to their story. Now, years later, Mackenzie is struggling with her voice, Sam is adjusting to life as a single dad, and the only way to revive their careers is a joint comeback album. Awkward much?

This book has everything I love—fiery chemistry, music industry drama, and a romance packed with history and heart. If you’re a fan of Emily Henry or Daisy Jones & The Six, trust me, you’ll eat this up. Let me know if you pick it up—I need to talk about it with someone!

I’ve read a few novels by Emma Lord and I always come away, glad I spent time in whatever world she has created. For The Record introduces us to Sam and Mackenzie, lead singers from rival bands. Both group have left on good terms, but Sam and Mackenzie have some left over business.

This book was enjoyable to read! The protagonist, Mackenzie, was especially lovable and well-written. Mack and Sam made a fantastic couple, and I enjoyed watching their bond grow. The book's banter and tension were fantastic! excited to read more by this author!

I loved this book, it was beautifully written. I loved how Mack and Sam’s relationship grew throughout the book. This was my first Emma Lord book and will not be my last. 4.5 stars. Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC.

I am screaming and kicking my feet! I really really loved this book! Emma Lord does NOT miss on writing these sweet and steamy romance novels. The book immediately grabbed me at the beginning and kept me interested throughout. I highly recommend this.

Thank you to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for an advanced copy of the book!

Thank you Net Galley for this ARC. This romance tells the story of Mackenzie "Mack" and Sam who are rival musicians with a past. Both are at a point where they need something fresh to revitalize their careers. They then begin to work together to recreate the magic of song writing they once shared. As they work together, old feelings and issues resurface. It was sweet watching both characters realize what is important and what they want from life and each other. The side characters in this book were perfect as they gave the story humor, depth, and a feeling of cozy sweetness. I really enjoyed and would recommend this fast paced romance.

This was an cozy second chance romance between rivals - a pop star & a rock star. I thought the main characters had great chemistry and banter, but I wished some of their past was explored more. I think it would have given a bit more depth to their love story.

All in all I'd recommend this to anyone looking for a fun, sweet, and engaging romance.

If there’s one thing Emma Lord is gonna do it’s take you on the emotional ride of your life!!! This book was all-consuming and frankly a love story for the ages.

This story follows MacKenzie and Sam, former bandmates who once played the “are they dating?” game. They both leave their bands but find their way back to music—together, or in MacKenzie’s case, definitely not. The plot was fun, though not earth-shattering. The characters were cute—dark, handsome guy and spunky girl—but there were times I felt lost due to some over-explaining of details. Still, the main story was sweet, with plenty of swoon-worthy moments. I really liked MacKenzie’s journey through loss and heartbreak. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed it!

If you're after a cute, easy romance, this one’s for you—it’s cozy and hard to put down.

Have you ever read a book that gave you butterflies? That’s when I know it’s going to be good.

For the Record follows Mackenzie and Sam as they reconnect after the push and pull of their onstage relationship two years prior. Both are at the point now where they want to revive their singing careers and they agree to do it together as a duo. This book had the best angst and slow burn with the most perfect ending. It gave me Daisy Jones and the Six vibes and I couldn’t put it down!

This was my first Emma Lord read and I can’t wait to read more!

This book made me think of Daisy Jones and the Six! Love a book about rockstars, music, and great chemistry between the characters. Definitely would recommend this one for a summer beach read this year!

I had never read a story by Emma Lord before, but after "For the Record" I will definitely be going and reading all of her books!! The writing style made this book really easy to get into, and the characters made me want to keep reading. There was a great lighthearted sweetness between Mackenzie and Sam while still having moments of vulnerability that made their relationship feel authentic. A few honorable mentions for Sam!!! Him teaching her how to swim, amazing! When he played Jingle Bell Rock at the fashion show! The way he rearranged Thunder Hearts music so she could still sing the old songs, we love!! The love between them was so evident through each interaction and I felt super invested in their characters.
I appreciated how both characters treated each other with such care. There were sensitive topics touched upon in the novel, and I felt that there was enough weight given to each moment and it felt genuine to who they were. Also, the friendship between Serena and Mackenzie felt well done in terms of how it was paced throughout the book and how aware each of them were in terms of what they needed in terms of taking care of one another.
I would definitely recommend this book if you are looking for a romance novel with great wit and well developed characters. Thanks to St. Martins Press and Netgalley for this ARC!

Firstly, I want to state that I’m a big fan of Emma Lord’s YA novels. I think Lord captures the essence of what makes a young adult novel great, so I was excited to read her new adult romance novel, For the Record.

Overall, it’s a fun book! It’s not perfect but I did enjoy it. I thought the characters were well rounded and I adored the side characters. However, there are few aspects of the book that I didn’t quite like that prevented me from giving this 5 stars.

One of my gripes was that while I liked the characters, they felt very juvenile. There were times where I just found their actions, words, monologue, and interactions too immature. I suppose the best way to describe these adult characters as if they belong in a YA book.

I think Emma Lord has the potential to write a great adult romance book - and For the Record demonstrates it! I just thought there were aspects of the book that I found too juvenile and I just couldn’t take it serious sometimes.

4 stars ⭐️ This was my first book by Emma Lord and it was a fun rivals to lovers read! The banter was great and I love a he falls first trope. It was a fun read!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This was another sweet story from Emma Lord. She is the queen of writing childhood enemies/lovers who know each other really well. I seriously felt their connection and the witty banter was spot on. The premise of competing girl and boy bands was so much fun and unique! I highlighted a ton of quotes, and writing lyrics for each other made me swoon! Grab it August 12th!

Thank you to St. Martin's Griffin and NetGalley for the e-ARC in exchange for my honest, unbiased review.

This was my first by this author. She has a very unique 'flavor' of writing. I liked it, but it look a bit for me to adjust to. A sweet, memorable romance.

This was cute. I did think it dragged a bit which is why I didn’t give it five stars. However, I will still recommend it to anyone looking for a sweet and fun romance.

First off, why is every musical guy in books named Sam. Second off, I need to stop reading Emma Lord because I haven't liked her books previously. This was her last chance and admittedly it wasn't a bad book plot wise but I just didn't vibe with the writing.

3.5- this was such a fun read that had a really unique plot!! Even though there were some things that made me frustrated with some of the characters, this book kept me coming back for more! This is definitely a book you are going to want to read when it is released!