Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for an advanced e-copy of For the Record, in exchange for an honest review.

The story revolves around Adam and Rachel, two close friends who secretly wed in Las Vegas. Despite the initial shock, their friends and family surprisingly embrace the union. To Rachel's relief, it provides her father with better health insurance.

As Adam and Rachel navigate their newfound status, their deeply hidden feelings for each other begin to surface. The 'then' chapters provide a captivating glimpse into their past, showcasing the gradual development of their bond over the years.

The Wells family, featured prominently in previous books, plays a significant role once again. Their unwavering love, support, and honesty create a warm and inviting atmosphere. The reader can't help but feel like part of this close-knit clan.

The marriage of convenience and grumpy sunshine pairing tropes are executed with humor and charm. Adam's grumpiness perfectly complements Rachel's sunny disposition, creating a dynamic that is both entertaining and endearing.

Rachel's relationship with her father is particularly touching. The poignant moment they share while fulfilling one of his bucket list entries will likely bring a tear to the reader's eye.

While the book is part of a series, it can be enjoyed as a standalone. Fans of the Wells family will be delighted to revisit their beloved characters, while new readers will find an accessible and engaging story to dive into.

Overall, 'For the Record' is a heartwarming and entertaining read that will leave readers craving more from the Wells family. Its compelling characters, charming tropes, and poignant moments make it a must-read for fans of contemporary romance and family dramas.
This was a 4.5 star read for me!

The Wells Family Series just keeps getting better with every installment!

I thought "Rock and a Hard Place," Liam and Marigold’s story, was the most heartwarming of all the Wells siblings' love stories, given its second-chance romance, shared parenting, and two adorable kids. But Adam and Rachel’s story in "For the Record" has proved me wrong. Honestly, I didn’t expect these two to be paired in the series. I assumed it would be Rachel and Crew, but the pairing of sunny Rachel and grumpy Adam was a delightful surprise.

I’ve always been eager to read Adam’s story because I have a soft spot for grumpy characters with a sweet side reserved for their significant others. Adam has always been the quiet one in the family, but Rachel’s character really brought out his potential as a perfect book boyfriend.

Rachel, with her sunny exterior and internal struggles, is incredibly relatable. We’ve all had moments where we put on a brave face while dealing with personal challenges. Rachel is a strong character who deserves all the love she gets from those around her. I’m so glad she found a family and lifelong friends in Adam’s amazing family.

However, what really touched me was not just the love story between Adam and Rachel, but Rachel’s relationship with her father, who has early-onset dementia. Watching the man who raised you, who was always steady and dependable, slowly slip away emotionally is unimaginable.

The things Rachel did for her dad were heartwarming and emotional, bringing tears to my eyes. I have a soft spot for father-daughter stories. The chapters detailing Rachel's efforts for her dad, seeing him feel proud and happy again, and how Adam made Rachel feel loved and seen were so real and heartfelt. I believe that was the best part of this book.

Juliana Smith did an amazing job with Adam and Rachel’s story, while also giving readers a glimpse into the lives of the other Wells family members, making it feel like catching up with distant relatives.

I’m now eagerly awaiting the next story in the series, featuring the baby of the family, Crew!

Thank you to Juliana Smith and NetGalley for providing early access to "For the Record" in exchange for an honest review. "For the Record" publishes on June 22nd, so be on the lookout for it. In the meantime, you might want to dive into the first three books of the series!

Well this was my first Juliana Smith book and I loved it. I am a fan. She wrote this couple so sweet, comical, and deep. The amount of depth in this story was shocking to me. I felt so connected to the characters, and I deeply felt for them at every corner. I could NOT get over how the sexual tension was screaming the entire book, and yet this was still a closed door romance. The pure talent Juliana has is off the charts. I annotated and highlighted the HECK out of this book because Adam was THE man of our dreams here. He couldnt have been anymore perfect.

I loved the entire story and I cant recommend this one enough!

Rachel and Adam have secretly known each other before they were brought together by the people in their lives. When one meet-cute somehow ends with Rachel and Adam married after a night in Vegas, they decide that they’ll ride the wave of this marriage of convenience thing rather than throw in the towel right away. The obvious attraction to each other aside, they both apparently can receive mutual benefits from the arrangement.

With Rachel being the main person financially caring for her father with memory impairments, she’s been struggling with keeping the balance. Adam’s a tatted hunk of a military man and that’s just an added bonus. But little did Rachel know, Adam can turn up the HEATTTTTTTTTT 🥵 I was dyin literally never in my life have I ever swooned over “honey”. It actually icks me so hard in the gut sometimes but Adam can do no wrong.

Anyways Rachel is LOVIN that hubby charm that Adam is bringing to the table, not to mention the fact that he cares for Myrtle as his own 🥲 and this marriage of convenience turns out to be more than either of them could have imagined. Rachel goes through the motions of the new and spontaneous marriage at the same time as she’s adjusting to being a military wife. Adam can be called out whenever they need him and there’s nothing they can do about it.

Please because the love that both Adam and Rachel have for Myrtle is odd, inspiring, I feel even a little left out?? As if my own parents didn’t show me as much love as those two showed to a sourdough starter. Anyways….

Oh yeah also tysm I will be getting myself some cheesecake because it sounded real good and then seeing that I deserved it was 🤌🤌 the icing on the cake so I’m on my way to the store now.

Thank you so much to Juliana Smith and NetGalley for this ARC 🫶 forever a Wells girly

Will a Juliana Smith book ever not hit like this?!?! For the Record is the perfect combination of a dual timeline + dual POV BUT it isn't a second chance romance! You get to see ALL of the chemistry between Rachel and Adam develop over 5 years and it's SO cute!!!! This book could've easily just picked up when Rachel and Adam accidentally get married BUT it didn't, we got to see their friendship and relationship bloom! 🥹 And all of the vibes are AMAZING! The record store, Sip n' Spin, where Rachel works, a sourdough starter sidekick named Myrtle, grumpy x sunshine, best friend's brother-in-law, age gap (8 years), and a military MMC all make such a CUTE story!
This friends to lovers romance is GREAT and people who liked The Rule Book by Sarah Adams will definitely enjoy this book! The accidental drunk marriage + staying married for mutual benefits + dual timeline, etc. It was such a fun read and I can't wait for the last book in the Wells Family series!💖
Thank you for a copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased review!💞

✨Thoughts✨
This story is absolutely amazing! There's nothing more adorable than two friends turning into lovers. Rachel and Adam, the main characters, endured a slow-building connection that developed into something else. It was clear as water that they were meant for each other.

🩵The novel cleverly alternates between the past, when they first crossed paths, and the unforgettable night they impulsively tied the knot in Vegas. Personally, I found this dual timeline approach to be very engaging. This is my second book by Juliana Smith, and I can confidently say that I am a fan of her writing style. I cannot wait to read the next book!

🩵Overall, if you have a soft spot for heartwarming romances that begin with peculiar friendships, then this book is a must-read for you!

✨Thank you to the author and NetGalley for this ARC. All opinions expressed here are entirely my own.

🔘𝐅𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐬-𝐭𝐨-𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬
🔘𝐕𝐞𝐠𝐚𝐬 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐠𝐞
🔘𝐒𝐥𝐨𝐰 𝐛𝐮𝐫𝐧
🔘𝐃𝐮𝐚𝐥 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐞

4.5⭐️
Closed door

I loved absolutely everything about this book! Accidental marriage is one of my favorite tropes, and Juliana hit it out of the park!

The story revolves around Rachel and Adam, who found themselves married after a night in Vegas. Rachel, who was caring for her father with dementia and was over her head in medical bills, decided that it might be in their best interest to stay married in order to use Adam’s medical insurance and benefits. Little did they know, this decision that they made as friends would be life altering for both Rachel and Adam in more ways than they could imagine.

I thought that the use of flashbacks from where Rachel and Adam started perfectly aided the story as well as the dual POV. There were so many moments that brought me to tears, especially the moments between Rachel and her dad.

Thank you to Juliana Smith and Netgalley for this ARC!

*I will be posting my review to Instagram under Bookrecsfromjess on the release day, June 22nd, 2024.

NetGalley ARC-

this was cute and chill and short but nothing to write home about in my opinion. definitely a good palette cleanser and i’m really grateful for the arc. The writing got chaotic and hard to follow, especially towards the end. The big dramatic twist felt forced, and there wasn't enough dialogue, making the story less engaging.

Such a cute romance!! If you do not like spice, this is a book for you! It was so cute, best friends to lovers, Vegas wedding, military benefits.

absolutely loved and ate this up!!! juliana knows how to write a cute story that draws you in and has you blushing. adam and rachel were so fun to read about and i’m so grateful i got the opportunity to read this early!!

All I can say is wow. This was beautiful. I love a best friends to lovers and this book had exactly what I love to see in that trope. I loved that Rachel and Adam both had characteristics that made up for where the other didn't thrive. Where Rachel was the life of the party and free spirited, Adam was quiet and meticulous. Where Rachel was worried and nervous, Adam was calm and ready to take care of things head on. They were very accepting of each other just the way they were. It made their friendship so much sweeter. When they were still getting used to being around each other you could still easily see the pull these two had to each other. Like there was no other way they'd be in each other's lives than as soulmates. Rachel and Adam together were literally perfectly made.

After reading Rock and a Hard Place by Juliana I knew that this entire family would be special to me. She has a way of drawing you into their stories as well as side characters and makes you feel at home with them. I read this thing in one night because there was absolutely no way I was putting it down without finding out what happened on the next page.
Thank you to Juliana for giving us a chance to ARC this!

Best friends brother in law, flashbacks, marriage of convenience, possible third act breakup, mutual pining, he gets a tattoo for her

I am absolutely obsessed with Juliana Smith. If she writes it, I’m gonna read it. This entire series is fantastic, the love stories are all so unique and make you feel all the emotions right along side the characters.

The story of Rachel’s dad hits close to home for me as I help take care of my grandmother with dementia. It not easy seeing someone you love slip away and loose themselves to a mental disease. She doesn’t know where she is, the repetitive questions that sounds like she’s reading a script in her mind, and her loosing the ability to do things herself. Being able to read a character going through something similar almost made me cry multiple times because I knew exactly what was going on and was able to relate and understand Rachel so much more.

Also. Motorcycles. HOT

Thank you NetGalley and the author for an early read of this book. All thoughts are my own, I do not accept money for reviews.

I was really looking forward to this, ready to love it. Unfortunately it wasn’t quite what I’d hoped for. I LOVED the MC, but not so much the FMC… I know, it isn’t reasonable but there ya go. It was just shy of “loved it”.

I love Adam & Rachel!! I have been so excited for Rachels book since we met her in book 1! I loved the Then and Now chapters we got and how the relationship developed was so fun to read because the TENSION DUH! I'm a sucker for a man obsessed and boy was Adam! I mean come on the tattoo scene...love love love!! The Wells family have my <3 and I can't wait to read Crews story!
Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

3 likes

My favorite kind of book: a lighthearted and feel good romance with dual POVs. This book is amazing. Normally I would say the dual timeline is unnecessary, but it really worked in this book! Great continuation to the series.

4 Stars If you are looking for a light-hearted rom-com, then be sure to check out For the Record by Juliana Smith. It's a marriage of convenience, friends to lovers romance with a dual POV and dual timeline.

Rachel and Adam have been friends for years, ever since--post-hookup--they realized that Rachel's best friend was marrying Adam's brother and decided that they would be better off as friends than anything else. Fast forward to the present and Rachel and Adam have woken up in Vegas after getting drunkenly married. The two decide to stay married to reap his military benefits, which will support Rachel and her father with early onset dementia. But a platonic, no-strings-attached marriage won't be as easy as it seems, with the feelings they've each been hiding for years coming to light, along with some secrets.

I LOVE books where the MMC has been secretly pining for the FMC for longer than she realizes. I'm usually not a fan of dual timelines, but I loved how it was done in this one, especially as we saw Adam and Rachel each coming to realize their feelings for one another and watching those feelings grow over the years. I love the Wells family and I'm excited for Crew's book next!

Book four highlighting yet another Wells brother was a grumpy x sunshine dream!

Adam and Rachel have been close friends for years, though they have hidden that fact from all of their friends and family. When they wake up in Vegas suddenly married, no one seems particularly shocked by it, and they decide to stay married to help Rachel nd her father have better health insurance. Of course, the deep feelings both have for each other might complicate things…

Once again, I was only too happy to check back in with the Wells fam. With the dual timeline of this entry, we even get flashbacks to pivotal moments from the prior books like Luke and Layla’s wedding or Liam’s grand gesture. This family loves hard, supports one another, and isn’t afraid to tell one another the truth, and I’m going to be sad when we eventually have to say goodbye to them.

The tropes in here are fun, with the marriage of convenience and the grumpy sunshine pairing. Loved the ‘then’ chapters, as we got to see their relationship progress in a deep and meaningful way over the years. I also adored Rachel’s relationship with her father, and was brought to tears by the poignant moment they shared while Rachel crossed off one of his bucket list entries.

Thank you to NetGalley and Victory Editing Co-op for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

Adam and Rachel’s story was the best friends to lovers, grumpy sunshine ever! What a treat to read! I loved the dual pov AND the dual timeline. This is actually my first book by this author but I will be going back and reading her backlist now!

Title: For the Record (Wells Family #4)
Author: Juliana Smith
Length: 300ish pages?
Format: ebook arc
Pub Date: June 22, 2024
Genre: Romance, ChickLit, RomCom
Rating Out of 5: ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
Spice Level: closed door
Summary:
In this light-hearted rom-com, Rachel and Adam accidentally marry during a spontaneous Vegas trip. Instead of an annulment, they decide to stay married to benefit from Adam's military perks. What starts as a platonic arrangement becomes complicated as Adam plays the role of a doting husband, making Rachel reconsider her priorities. Meanwhile, Adam struggles with a secret that could change everything.

Thoughts:
Juliana has perfectly pulled off Adam and Rachel’s story!! This is dual POV and dual timeline and was executed flawlessly. Normally in dual timeline books I feel anxious because some “mysterious” event has happened in between then and now, but instead, we are taken on an adorable journey of their friendship over the years. Reading about all the events that have happened over the course of the other Wells family books through Rachel or Adam’s POV was so cool. Speaking of the Wells family: out of all the Wells men, Adam has to be my favorite. His dedication to loving Rachel and making her fall in love with him was super swoon-worthy. Ugh it was just so adorable all around. Read it ASAP. That is all.

Special thanks to the @netgalley and @victoryeditingngc for the arc in exchange for my honest review!

I had high hopes for 'For the Record' by Juliana Smith, and for the first 60% of the book, it seemed like those hopes would be realized. The storyline was compelling and promised a great payoff. However, as the book progressed, things started to fall apart, and the ending left much to be desired.

The chemistry between the characters was enjoyable, but their dynamic over the years felt a bit unrealistic. Both characters, being such close friends and feeling deeply for each other, had no convincing reason for not communicating their feelings. When Rachel finally did express her emotions clearly, Adam's prolonged hesitation didn't make sense. This lack of communication dragged on unnecessarily, diminishing the believability of their relationship.

The story begins with the protagonists getting married while drunk in Vegas, but frustratingly, we never learn how they ended up in that situation. Given that the book frequently shifts between past and present, I expected this pivotal moment to be explored, but it was disappointingly overlooked.

Moreover, the writing felt chaotic at times and didn't always feel realistic, making it hard to stay connected with the storyline towards the end. The 'mess up' situation that occurs near the conclusion was overly dramatic and seemed forced. Additionally, the book lacked sufficient dialogue and often felt like a monologue, making it hard to follow and less engaging.

Overall, 'For the Record' had a promising start and engaging moments, but ultimately, it fell short in delivering a satisfying and coherent narrative.