My first Miss Lord book but definitely not my last! This had me in my FEELS! This was the epitome of the pop star romance I wanted so badly to read back in my fanfic era and I LOVED IT! I loved the banter and the slow burn and the found family and the music aspect. So cute and so cozy and so happy! Will be reading the rest of Emma Lord's backlog ASAP!

- will also be uploading videos on tik tok about the book eventually as well! @sunshinesbooks!

Thanks to Netgalley for this ARC. For the Record by Emma Lord is a fun and heartfelt YA novel that explores the power of social media, fame, and personal growth. The story follows the protagonist, a high school student who inadvertently becomes the center of a viral scandal, and her journey to navigate the chaos that comes with it. Lord’s writing is witty, and the characters are well-developed, making the book a light but meaningful read. While the plot can be predictable at times, the emotional depth and relatable themes of self-discovery and friendship make it an enjoyable and engaging story. A perfect read for fans of contemporary YA fiction.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this arc.

This was a very cute ‘second chance’ romance. Sometimes I got confused when the chapters did a quick flashback, it bounced back and forth I got lost in what ‘tense’ I was reading. I did think Sam and Mack were so cute, but it took me a good 50% to get invested in the characters and plot.

Former pop girl group star Mackenzie Waters and her infamous rival, former punk-rock band star, Samuel Blaze are pushed by their agents to team up on a duet album to launch their solo careers.

I was caught off guard by how much I loved this. Was it unrealistic that they were this magical songwriting duo, frequently meeting up to write these amazing hit songs in 10 minutes without Mackenzie even having to sing? Yes and I could not care less. I could even could even look past the last names Waters and Blaze, for the many puns and songwriting material they sparked (see?). Overall I was impressed with the author’s creativity in creating a relevant social media app and surrounding drama, artist lore, full song concepts that related to the character’s stories (even without having to write any cringy full song lyrics), and even inside jokes and a whole game that felt fleshed out. The slow burn (heh did it again) was painfully tension-filled, the side characters and subplots were colorful, and there were so many moments of vulnerability and emotional metaphors that I ate up like candy (too easy).

Thank you to the publisher for giving me this ARC in exchange for an honest review! I was looking forward to reading another book by Emma Lord because I really liked “You Have a Match”, but this one unfortunately didn’t live up to my expectations. The story was cute but it lacked certain aspects that would’ve made me consider it great.

For starters, these characters were way too old to be acting like teenagers. The lack of communication between Mackenzie and her best friend, Serena, went on for way too long and became so annoying I actually lost sight of why they were even mad at each other. I also thought that Mackenzie and Sam’s romance was ‘cute’ but in a young and immature kind of way. When I remember that Sam actually has a kid and they’re both grown adults, the dialogue becomes slightly less cute and a little more cringe. The whole book gives a more tame version of Daisy Jones and the Six, which is also a book I did not particularly enjoy. I think I’m just coming to the conclusion that musicians are annoying af. If the characters were teenagers and this was more of a YA book (no spice), it might have made them more likeable to me.

In terms of the writing format, I think I would have received this story better if it was written as a dual timeline. There were multiple occasions where we would get transported into the past mid-chapter in order to explain the context of a situation. While I appreciate the context, it got confusing differentiating between memories and the present. I also found the main plot points of the book surrounding the label politics to be a little over exaggerated. Why was this duet was such a huge deal to everyone? Idk. Why did Seven’s identity HAVE to be a secret? Idk either. Like, yes there were indicated reasons for these things, but they didn’t seem like strong enough plot points to base the entire book off of them

Like I said, this book was cute but I think it would have been received better if the characters were younger and it was geared towards a younger audience.

For the Record was such a fun and heartwarming read! I absolutely loved the dynamic between Mackenzie and Sam—two former rivals who have so much unresolved tension and chemistry between them. Their journey from bitter enemies to collaborators was filled with humor, emotions, and a bit of drama, making it an engaging ride. The music industry backdrop was a perfect setting for this kind of rivalry-turned-romance. I really enjoyed seeing both characters grow and navigate their complicated pasts. The mix of romance, redemption, and personal growth made this a super enjoyable rom-com. My only slight issue was that at times, the pacing felt a bit slow, but overall, it was a great read!

Emma Lord has such a way with creating quirky, lovable characters and Mack was no exception! Sam was perfection as a former rock star turned Super Dad...his cute family dynamic was precious. I also loved the way the past was incorporated in the will they/won't they story. Flashbacks felt genuine and the book wasn't overloaded with them...especially for a second chance trope. I loved it and hope you do, too!

This one releases on my birthday so everyone should have a cupcake to celebrate both occasions!

**Thanks to St. Martin's Press via NetGalley for the e-arc in exchange of my honest opinion!

I enjoyed this! I enjoyed the female friendships, family dynamics plus the romance. It was really intriguing and I liked being along the ride during their writing process!

This was a fun second chance, enemies to lovers romance. Mackenzie, a former pop star is looking to restart her musical career. But, in order to do this, she has to team up with her former rival and punk rock band member Sam. I loved the banter and chemistry between Sam and Mack, and how they had to learn to trust each other after not doing so in the past. It was a fun, fast paced read that I really enjoyed!

Spiciness: 2/5 🌶️

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martins Press for the ARC!

i’m so happy i snagged this book when it was available, it feels like im early to a party. this was SO good and i loved every second.

This was a fun, cute second chance romance! Mack was in a pop band and Sam was in a punk rock band. They’d sung together in the past but when their bands broke up, they never spoke again. Two years later, they are given a chance at a comeback but they have to do it together. Writing all new songs for their duo debut and Mack’s rule is — no love songs.

Thanks St Martins Press and NetGalley for the ARC!

This is a music rom-com following former rival musicians who reconnect for a joint comeback. I liked the characters and the banter but I felt it was difficult to connect to the story because the subplot and characters created more confusion for me than enhancing the story. Overall, it was sweet and a pretty quick read.
I think readers who like music/celebrity rom-coms and second-chance enemies to lovers will like this.
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC!

Alright here's what I'm going to say, there's a bunch of music romance novels out right now so my standards were pretty high and to be honest this book just didn't meet the moment for me. I know readers are going to love this book but for now I'm going say this was the book for me.

Thanks to St. Martins Press for the ARC.

while this book was by no means bad there was something totally missing for me that i still cant quite put my finger on. i held off on doing a review on this one after finishing it a few weeks ago because i was completely stumped on why even though i didnt hate it, i by no means loved it and often times found myself struggling to connect or care about these chracters 🥲

it was a quick and easy read, sometimes entertaining but it was just not memorable. nothing about it stood out to me the way i had hoped it would. it could completely be because i am not the biggest fan of books set around music though i am trying to give it more of a shot these days. i think this is one of those books id like to try again in the future with the audiobook, i think that them being brought to life may help me connect more with the characters and story

EMMA LORD IS THE QUEEN!

I don't think I've ever finished an EL book disappointed. I swooned so hard, I was constantly smiling while reading and fell in love with our main characters.

Absolutely adorable!

Second chance romance with a dash of enemies to lovers, For the Record is a great read about two rock stars whose stars are fading.all they need toteignite their careers is to team up. They learn that what they thought was love unrequited, was really only love afraid to shine. If you're looking for a great beach or cold weather read, this is a nice choice.

For the Record follows Mackenzie and Sam, two rival music artists who have avoided each other for two years but now to save their careers and appease their record label are forced to work together to make new music.

The tropes:
- found family 👯‍♀️👦
- Close proximity 🛶
- He falls first ❤️
- Second chance romance 🎼
- “Enemies” to lovers 🎸
Spice Level: 2🌶️

The book has lots of the classic tropes I enjoy and the premise of two music stars needing a recharge to their careers was fun. But I felt like there wasn’t enough of a conflict to keep me hooked to what was going to happen next.

I liked the banter between Mack and Sam, especially the pool scene where they both started to open up to each other. The glimpses back to when they first met was fun, but I really would have loved a whole chapter devoted to a flashback so we could get a true sense of how they interacted as a rivals. The last few chapters were
well written and played out like a classic rom-com movie in my head.

Overall I found the book fell a bit flat for me. but if you’re looking for an easy Happily Ever After, with very minimal bumps in the road, this book might be for you. Thank you to St. Martin’s press for providing this book for consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Thank you Netgalley for the chance to read this! I ADORED IT. 5/5 stars for me.
Mackenzie (a former pop princess) and Sam (a former punk baddie) with an old enemies rivalry are reunited by their label to produce a duet album. Mack has faded away, hiding behind a singing alter ego in this worlds tik tok while Sam has embraced a quiet life as an unexpected father. As you can guess, traveling down memory lane (the songs all represent old 'haunts' of their entangled lives) brings them from enemies to 'just having fun' to lovers.
I really loved that this was told from both POVs, as understanding their attraction to each other really needed both lenses to really anchor the chemistry. There's a ton here on the music industry and how wonderfully awful it can be, which I found super intriguing. The cast of characters, particularly the rest of Mackenzie's band, were done really well too: there are some clear friendship focuses that I think really help to drive who these two are as humans.
I don't read a ton of musician stories, as so many times the romance and plot depth gets lost in discussing lyrics and melodies, but here I think it is perfectly balanced. You get to be inside their heads as musicians, as lovers, as individualized people: I just adored this from beginning to end.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC!

This was a cute read about two former rival musicians with a past, both of whom are looking for a comeback, who come together to record an album as a duet. Emma Lord is such a comfort author for me and I love the way she develops her female protagonists- Mackenzie was the most compelling part of this book for me, and I loved the sideplot of her anonymously releasing music under a pseudonym. Definitely felt the Swiftie inspiration with her. I didn't love Sam's chapters, though- so many of his lines felt so cliché to me, and his character didn't seem to match the complexity of Mackenzie. I also feel like perhaps his character got reworked along the line, because he definitely came off as a country singer but was described as a punk rocker- never really got that vibe from him. I also would've loved to see more of the story delve into Mack and Sam's days with their former bands. Overall, a fun slow burn.

SO cute, I liked this book! The enemies-to-lovers trope with the music/rockstar theme was something I really enjoyed. The story was fast-paced and easy to get into, which made it hard to put down. However, I felt some of the side plots could have been developed more. For example, the mention of Mackenzie not having a close relationship with her parents throughout the book, but by the end, they're suddenly at her wedding with an improved relationship. It felt like there could have been more details of this relationship.

Overall, it was a great read, and I’m definitely excited to read more of Emma Lord’s books in the future!

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC! This book will be published on August 12th.