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.

For the Record is a winning combination of rivals‑to‑lovers, second‑chance romance, and music‑industry realism. It’s a feel‑good, slow‑burn read with emotional highs and heartstrings tugged—perfect for a sunny afternoon or a cozy night in.

If you love:
• Slow-burn music romance
• Character-driven stories
• Light tension with a satisfying emotional payoff

—this one’s definitely for you. Just know that if you’re craving deep lyrical excerpts or high-stakes drama, it might leave you wanting more.

This is my first Emma Lord book, but it will not be my last! So fun and Sam is such a green flag! I love the relationship between Sam and Mackenzie and how he doesn’t hold back his feelings! This was a 4.5 star book for me!

4.5 Stars

For the Record is a great adult debut from one of my favorite YA authors, Emma Lord! This enemies-to-lovers trope is the perfect vibe if you wished Matty Healy wasn't such a mess and Taylor was, well, Taylor! Set in the world of the music industry, two formal rival artists are set to make a comeback, together...reluctantly and almost against their will (and their better judgment). Their former tension starts to come back to the surface, and that hate, well, it might just be love. Emma has such a way of sucking you in quickly and having you rooting for the messy yet totally human characters she has crafted. I absolutely devoured this book and can't wait for everyone to read it. Maybe Netflix should hit Emma up for the rights to make a movie? JUST SAYING.

Second chance romance with a female pop icon and a punk rock bad boy. This book had so much potential! The establishment of both groups was great. It’s easy to imagine the groups touring together and the fan frenzy. Ultimately, the book fell flat for me.

I hate the miscommunication trope. This book relied very heavily on it. The friend, romance, and family relationships were all heavily affected by miscommunications. No thank you.

The use of full names throughout the book is odd. Sam Blaze. Always Sam Blaze. Even internal thoughts about him are about Sam Blaze.

The parent thing dragged on for a lot of the book. Sam didn’t know his dad. His dad walked out when he was a baby. There is so much anger and hurt. Then suddenly everything is fine.

The phrase TuneTok also just irked me. As did the fact that so many people- including the MMC and FMC- got trapped in bad contracts. The FMC and MMC are both seasoned singers. They both had their runs with their respective bands. But then they’re suddenly trapped in a bad contract? How did that happen? Don’t they have good lawyers to read through things? With money and fame, you’d think they would have someone check it for them.

I didn’t believe the relationship between the main characters. They have years of chemistry. They talk a few times after years of not speaking and suddenly they’re in love. They’re in love despite all of these secrets that keep being revealed.

Overall, it was a quick read. Read it for the vibes.

Thank you, Macmillian Audio for the early listening copy! all thoughts are my own.

For the Record follows, pop princess Mackenzie Waters & punk rockstar Sam Blaze, two rivals who are forced to work together again after they fell apart 2 years prior. Sam left the rockstar life behind when he found out he had a son. Mackenzie's label won't pursue a solo career for her after she has a surgery that alters her voice. And of course, the only way to revive their careers is to join forces and do a duet project together.

I just want to start by saying when i read the premise for this book, i knew it was going to be so good. and this book delivered! I couldn't put it down.

The forced proximity trope is one of my favorites and their banter was amazing. I also loved the rivals to friends to lovers aspect even though they were clearly in denial most of the book (in the best way).

If you are a fan of Emily Henry and Taylor Jenkins Reid or if you are looking for a forced proximity, rivals to lovers, musician romance, you need to pick this one up!

Releases August 12th!

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

Grateful to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the audio ARC.

Mackenzie Waters is a member of a defunct girl group. Sam Blaze was the lead of a punk rock group that had a successful tour and PR-rivalry with Mackenzie and her group. But behind the scenes, both were secretly pining for the other, but never quite able to make a move. Two years after their last performance, both are considering a comeback and their managers conspire to pitch them as a duo. Their label gets on board and the album concept is them writing songs together in places that had meaning in their "rivalry".

This was a really fun dual POV romance with a unique concept. Some of the strife keeping Mackenzie and Sam apart does feel a little contrived, but the B-plot about artists' rights to music is interesting and compelling.

The narrators are really great choices for the respective roles. I really would have loved if there was actual music or singing for the audiobook, but the story and narration still works without it!

Strongly recommend for anyone who enjoyed Honey (by Isabel Banta) or who wanted a more hopeful take on Daisy Jones & the Six.

4.5 / 5 stars!

4,5 stars!

i had so much fun reading this! the worldbuilding is fascinating and the characters are well-rounded. the romance is sparkling, the angst delivered, the drama was fun to follow. as always, i love me some emma lord. however, my biggest quip with it is that i kinda couldn't remember the names of some of the characters- i got confused about who is who. still, the main crux of the book is solid, and the narrators were also top-notch, so it's forgivable!

Oh my goodness this audiobook was so freaking ADORABLE! I loved every minute of it, Emma Lord is such a good romance author, the way she tells a story and her characters are amazing

ARC and ALC review

Initial rating was 4,25 stars, but I decided to change it to 4,5 after listening to the audiobook.

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)
- single dad
- 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.

Update:
Even if I already read the book in May, when the audiobook was available for request I decided to do a reread.
Thank you Macmillan Audio for the ALC.

The second read of the book through audiobook narrated by Andrew Eiden and Jesse Vilinsky made me like the story even more.
This is a dual narration, but both narrators performed great in their chapters.
They manage to bring out the personality of the characters and enhance the experience of the book.
Jesse made me feel Mackenzie's sunshine side, but also her anxiety and she also has does a pretty good male voice.
Aiden was amazing as Sam, flirty but also vulnerable. He does good female voices and great kid voice.

If you liked other books by Emma Lord, I also recommend this one.
And if you have the possibility and you consume books this way, try the audiobook.

For the Record is my favorite kind of romance novel. The world is rich and the characters are complex and intelligent. They each have genuine reasons for their fears, dreams and behaviors. The author Emma Lord weaved together a beautiful love story and interesting side plots that enriched the main story.

I had the opportunity to listen to the audio book and I enjoyed the performances of the voice actors. I was obsessed 6 chapters in, in pain when I had to stop listening half way through and felt so fulfilled when I finished it. Mackenzie and Sam ticked all my boxes for an epic romance. There was the right amount of push/pull, longing, passion and well love! I look forward to reading more from Emma Lord.

Book rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Voice Performance: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Immediately Yes! Two seconds into the audio and already, IMMEDIATELY YES!!!!

What could possibly make me love this book more than I did when I read the ebook? Making Jesse Vilinsky and Andrew Eiden the narrators for Mack and Sam, that’s how! I originally gave the e-book a 4⭐️ rating. The audiobook is getting a 4.75⭐️. The characters are already coming to life with my two all-time favorite voice narrators giving them a voice. The coziness factor just increased by tenfold. I cleared my schedule so that I can spend the day finishing this dreamy audiobook.

I first read the e-ARC a couple of months ago and fell head over heels in love with Sam and Mack’s love story. I thought it was absolutely adorable and couldn’t wait to get my hands on more Emma Lord books. Audio production aside, this is my opinion on the storyline itself…

From the first moment the FMC and MMC were being introduced on the page I was hooked and knew this would be a book I wouldn’t be able to put down. I couldn’t get enough or Sam and Mack’s love story. The two first meet when they are young rival bands emerging into fame. Sam is the heartthrob bad boy, Mackenzie the wild ball of glittery chaos. The crowd can’t seem to get enough of their undeniable chemistry so the record label makes the decision to have them lean into that. Sam and Mackenzie are instructed to use their flirty tension to draw in more publicity for the two bands. However, it isn’t long before their flirty banter starts to develop into something much deeper under the surface. One night the tension finally snaps and the two give into one another with a passionate backstage kiss. Unfortunately, the romance is short lived after life events throw the two in completely different directions. Two years pass without a word from one another until one day their paths cross again. The last time Mackenzie had seen Sam he had left her heartbroken and confused. Thanks to their two meddling agents, Sam and Mack are thrown back into one another’s lives and Mackenzie comes to realize that maybe there is a fine line between the hate she thinks she feels for Sam and the love that is becoming harder to deny.

I thought this was a great read. It had a good storyline, the plot was interesting. Emma Lord did a fantastic job creating a group of characters with diverse personalities that all seemed to fit into the story seamlessly. They were all so well developed that it was easy to picture every character’s interaction in my mind while reading. I also loved how pretty much every character had some sort of conflict to overcome, it kept me engaged throughout the entire book.

My only teeny tiny complaint was I would have loved to see some more lyrics to the songs. The entire book was about Mack and Sam creating these beautiful lyrics with one another. There was so much emphasis on the songs and feelings that went into them. It would have been great to get more of the songs titles and just a line or two of lyrics from the songs. We did get some from Golden in the end of the book but I would have liked to see a little more of that since this was a music based romance between two singer/song writers.

Emma Lord can do no wrong, I’m absolutely convinced. For the Record follows Mackenzie, whose pop girl group broke up two years ago, and Sam, who fronted a rival band. They haven’t spoken in two years, but when their label pushes them into being a duo to revive their careers they finally come face to face with their complicated history.

For the Record has all of the quirky, fun energy of Emma Lord’s other books, but felt a little more serious and grounded. Mackenzie is dealing with dramatic changes to her voice and Sam is growing into being a dad while not knowing his own. These characters and their relationship felt so fully realized and the ending had me in tears. Highly recommend!

The dual narration was excellent and I loved how both narrators brought Mackenzie and Sam to life. I can't wait to read Emma Lord's next book!

5 star narration

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.

firstly, thank you to the publisher for an arc and an alc!

3.5 stars — especially because it reminded me of warped tour and tumblr back in 2014 (although the book does not take place in 2014 but in present day)

this was my first book by emma lord and i had such a blast! there was obviously a lot of nods to singing and i hope that the audio has a narrator that will sing similar to books written with a musical background like kennedy ryan’s reel!

as for the audio, i always love a dual narration; i loved sam's narrator

overall this was a fun romp of life after a pop punk girl/boy group and trying to get back into the music scene!

I can’t help but using a pun – this one’s harmony hits all of the right notes. Haha! The edginess of this one is very refreshing. Most romance books are pretty fluffy and are sticky sweet pretty quickly into the story – even if they are enemies-to-lovers. There is history with these two, lots of history. The angst. The drama! What I love is that, despite these two being celebrities, they are relatable. You are rooting for them the whole time. The FMC has depth and is very likeable given her personality in the book. As for the MMC, he is a punk turned acoustic softy – who now is a dad. You cannot help but melt at his bad-boy-to-supportive-dad evolution. Together, they have so much chemistry. There is some spice in this one, but it is tasteful and sweet.

Despite the romance in this one, what I love the most is that it is about being yourself. It is about owning your voice and who you are. It is about your life in the spotlight, out of it, and how you keep both your autonomy and authenticity. In short, this is your feel-good summer read.

That being said, listening to this one as a duet is a must. Given that the lovers are musicians who essentially are trying to make it in music again as a duet, The narrators did a great job. It was easy to pick up on the transitions between characters. It all fits together well.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

An electrifying rom-com of rivalry, redemption, and rhythm, "For the Record" by Emma Lord hits all the right notes — and then some.

This was not my first Emma Lord book, and let's just say, it won’t be my last! I’m usually a bit hesitant about celebrity/popstar romances (they can veer into cringy or stereotypes territory), but For the Record manages to avoid all the usual pitfalls. Instead, it delivers a heartfelt second-chance romance that balances fun and feels in equal measure.

The Premise
Mackenzie Waters and Sam Blaze: once music rivals, always complicated. She’s a rising pop star grappling with a sudden vocal shift that threatens to derail her career; he’s an ex-rockstar who’s swapped tour buses for toddler toys. When their labels strong-arm them into recording an album together, old sparks start to fly — and not just the combative kind.

What follows is a story that blends banter, emotional vulnerability, and that delicious tension only ex-rivals-to-lovers can deliver. Forced proximity + musical collaboration = fireworks. There's also a really thoughtful exploration of female friendships when you go from being best friends/attached at the hip with your girlfriends to individuals figuring out how to lead their own lives without leaving each other behind.

What I Loved
🎶 Second chance romance with actual stakes.
🎶 Dual POVs that peel back the public personas and show you what’s really going on inside.
🎶 Found family and strong female friendships that ground the story beautifully.
🎶 A thoughtful arc of self-discovery, especially for Mackenzie.
🎶 That cozy, bingeable writing style that makes hours disappear. (I genuinely blinked and was at 80%. IYKYK.)

The chemistry between Sam and Mackenzie? Chef’s kiss. Watching them rediscover their connection, both musically and emotionally, was incredibly satisfying. And their creative process — messy, vulnerable, and electric — was a highlight.

Final Thoughts
For the Record gave what needed to be given. It’s a heartfelt, easy-to-devour rom-com that hits all the right beats for fans of Emily Henry or Daisy Jones & The Six. If you're into:

🥁 Second chances
🎤 Music industry drama
💘 Angsty, slow-burn chemistry
🎶 Pop meets rock energy
👯‍♀️ Solid female friendships
💡 A satisfying redemption arc

...then For the Record deserves a spot on your TBR.

4 starts because it left me smiling and swooning — and really, what more can you ask for?

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

Sam is was trying to chance his dream of singing. The first time he's paired with a second band and they go on tour. Now its been years and he is again paired with MacKenzie to try and kickstart his career again. But this time they don't have to pretend to be rivals, they can be friends.

MacKenzie is keeping secrets, of her feelings, who she sings under, why she stopped singing for years. And now that she's paired with Sam again she can't keep her secrets forever.

Rivals to Lovers
Second Chance
Slow Burn

I received an advance review copy audio version. Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio, for the opportunity to listen to this book. Andrew Eiden and Jesse Vilinsky did an amazing job narrating this audiobook.

For the Record is a sweet, tender, and romantic story set in the world of record labels and musicians. I had a lot of fun while reading it, and I'm grateful I had the opportunity to listen to Andrew Eiden and Jesse Vilinsky bring Sam and Mackenzie to life.

Andrew Eiden is always a pleasure to listen to. I appreciate the depth and sincerity he brings to his characters. And he did just that with Sam. He brought the levity while also allowing for the character to show his vulnerable side as well.

Jesse Vilinsky truly was Mackenzie. Her infectious joy was palpable as was her anxiety and apprehension about the new road life was taking her on. And while I wish For the Record would have been a duet, the duel narration was fantastic.

One of. my favorite aspects of For the Record is the backdrop of the recording industry. Although there were several plot points that felt as though they were taken out of the headlines, they worked as engaging and realistic moments that Mackenzie and Sam found themselves in. I appreciated the insight that Emma Lord provided, and it was easy to imagine these situations as they have been prevalent in entertainment world the past few years.

For the Record is a fun, entertaining Rom-Com with lovable and memorable characters.