The banter, the tension! I couldn’t put it down and read it one day. I really enjoyed this second chance romance and hearing about the main character’s perspectives on their past. But what really hooked me was their present!

I may be of an unpopular opinion that did not love this book as much. I have loved her other works that are ya, but I’m not sure her adult romances hit the same for me as the ya ones do. A huge thank you to Netgalley for this arc, as it was a fun time and easy read among some of my longer books!

Thank you St. Martin’s Press | St. Martin’s Griffin and NetGalley for this advance readers copy in exchange for an honest review.

For the Record follows Mack and Sam when they reunite after a few years. After playing the role of rivals while touring with their respective bands they are thrusted together as a duo and set off writing an album while confronting their history and exploring a future. True to Emma Lord fashion there are quirky but endearing characters and fun scenarios all while addressing serious issues related to self identity, careers, friendship and love.

For the Record was an easy, fun read. I love reading a books set in the music scene! I enjoyed the MCs a lot. Mack and Sam were really well written, you understand their motives and why they are the way they are. They also had a sweet relationship. It was almost like a second chance romance but also not really haha.
My only real issue with this book was the pacing and that might just be a me problem. I wish there had been two different timelines - past and present - just so that we could’ve read about their days in the band, the behind the scenes, band conflicts, touring, etc. I know it gets touched on in the present/current timeline but I wish we could’ve read about it in a Past POV, if that makes any sense.
Also, the Tick Tune plot line wasn’t my favorite, but that’s okay.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.

Mackenzie and Sam made music headlines for years—she was the powerhouse pop princess adored in Thunder Hearts, while he was the rebellious punk rocker from Candy Shards. Their rivalry was legendary until both bands broke up and went (radio) silent. Now, Mackenzie is slowly emerging from a hiatus, relearning how to sing after a health scare, while Sam is trying to reinvent his sound and attract label interest. When a manager throws them together, sparks fly—in more ways than one.

Oh, this book is fun! I love the music angle, the close-knit group of friends, and how life inevitably gets in the way of relationships, forcing people to reassess how they connect. The setting is immersive, and the writing feels like a love letter to the music industry—its magic, its chaos, and everything in between. The ensemble cast is likable, and the exploration of music, social media, sharing culture, and record labels adds depth to Mack and Sam’s journey.

Everyone should read this—a super fun romcom set in NYC with characters you’ll absolutely fall for!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.

3.75 - An overall easy read that kept me entertained. I love the history between our MCs without them having officially dated before. It showed how their banter and relationship grew organically and picked back up when they were together again. I enjoyed most of the characters but found some of them to be too superficial and only necessary to drive the plot vs bringing value.
I did receive this ARC for my honest opinion/review. I think it will make a great summer read.

Emma Lord has done it again. Such an impactful, beautiful second chance love story. Refreshing to see such growth from both the FMC and the MMC.
The only thing that would have made it better would have been including the song lyrics.
Crazy to me how underrated Emma is in the romance industry.
Thank you St. Martin's Griffin and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This is my first Emma Lord, and while I don’t think it will be my last, there are a few issues with her writing I suspect are consistent.

First off, however, the good stuff: I love Mackenzie and Sam as both individual characters and as romantic foils. I definitely feel as if I know them, understand their motivations, and get their hang-ups. The flashbacks do excellent work of explaining how they’ve got to this place in their lives, both in relation to work and each other. Plus: they’re charming together.

Now, the not so good. While I completely understand the necessity of the Tick Tune stuff, it was all wildly convoluted and complex, it seriously detracted from my enjoyment of the story.

I also feel that the vast assortment of side and supporting characters kept me from knowing them better — I don’t know Hannah or Lizzie at all, I still don’t get Serena, and I found it odd we never meet Sam’s bandmates or mother, despite being told about them A LOT. Oh, and Twyla and Isla? Are they good people? Good at their jobs? No idea!

And while the settings are seriously cute, they’re also highly unbelievable. Hannah is a MASSIVE star and yet works the bar at her joint everyone knows? Lizzie and her wife have this charming bakery that’s also a speakeasy and also they all live upstairs? This all stretches the boundaries of believability to breaking points.

Overall, the book is sweet escapism, but there are many pieces of it that just don’t fit.

Mackenzie and Sam, both musical artists with former bands that clashed (and both of whom had an attraction to the other), reunite musically together in order to salvage their careers. A few years have passed since their heyday, and they are now in different spots; Sam being a parent, and Mackenzie navigating a change in her voice. When reuniting for their careers, they learn a lot about each other, but also themselves as individuals, and get a second chance at their chemistry.

This was another home run for Emma Lord. I can consistently rely on her writing to be accessible, explore deeper themes that are applicable to every day people, and also have a cute romance that doesn't ever go over the top.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press/St. Martin's Griffin for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Another hit from Emma Lord! This contemporary romance felt very real and had such a fun storyline. I was impressed that the author could write famous pop star characters in such a convincing way. Sam and Mack both felt so real!

4.5 stars -- My favorite Emma Lord book yet! This was damn near perfect.

I was hooked on Sam Blaze and Mackenzie Waters from the first page. They tantalized fans for years with their rivalry and their "will they, won't they" tension --but Mack is notorious for wanting a relationship that will last and Sam purposely stayed away from her knowing he couldn't give that to her.

But two years after their bands broke up and stopped touring together, they are both ready for a restart -- for their careers and for their chance at a relationship. Their record label is interested in them doing an album together, and as the two write songs and reminisce together, they quickly realize they love each other and they have for years. But will they risk their second chance in music for that chance to be together for real?

Chemistry and characters were electric! So enjoyable.

Mackenzie is facing life after her girl band has ended and a health scare. She is posting songs to Tick Tune under a pseudonym in order to heal from a series of bad relationships. Sam's boy band had travelled with Mackenzie's band on the road, and the had enjoyed a will they/won't they with their fans, but he has to suddenly grow up when he finds out he has a son with his lesbian best friend. Sam and Mackenzie's agents think a duet album will be their entrance into the "grown up" music scene. Can they find the magic back that they had before?

I couldn’t put it down! I loved each relationship and the beauty in the happiness and heart ache. I’m a fan!

I picked this because it looks like Taylor Swift on the front and that seemed so fun. I didnt expect to love it so much because the musicians are not always my favorite theme. These characters are really fun and honestly, relatable! The dual POV is everything and Sam was my favorite

Loved this one!! Such a sweet story about music and the music industry with some really sweet sub storylines about female friendship and coming into your own. It was a bit of a slow start for me which is why I knocked it down a star but once it picked up, I couldn’t put it down. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!

Oh wow.

This book was beautiful. I’m kind of at a loss for words after finishing it, and very tempted to just go back to chapter 1 and start over again.

I loved Mackenzie and Sam’s story. It was fun and beautiful and at times downright swoon-worthy. Just a beautiful second chance romance that doesn’t shy away from heartbreak but embraces it and makes it an empowering step forward for both of them. I also deeply loved the friendships explored in it. The riffs and repairs and found families.

This will probably stay at the top of my 2025 reads. I’m looking forward to revisiting this one and I’m sure it’s one that’s going to stick with me for a while.

Thank you so much to Net Galley & St. Martin's Press | St. Martin's Griffin for the ARC.

Once fierce rivals in the music scene, pop princess Mackenzie Waters and punk rockstar Sam Blaze captivated audiences with their onstage clashes, but behind the scenes, their fiery tension turned into something more—until both bands collapsed, taking their relationship down with them. Two years later, Sam has left the rockstar life behind to raise the son he never knew about, while Mackenzie, struggling with a postoperative change in her voice, only sings under a pseudonym. Their only shot at reviving their careers is a joint comeback album, forcing them to set aside their rivalry and learn to work together. As old sparks reignite and new secrets come to light, their reunion triggers a chain of events neither saw coming—proving that sometimes, the greatest hits are still waiting to be written.

Emma Lord’s fun and poppy writing style makes a love story between a rival punk rocker and pop star feel like a perfect match. Sam is a devoted father and a charming love interest for Mackenzie—flawed but never too much of a jerk to root against. Meanwhile, Mackenzie is bubbly and fun, yet also a fierce friend and ally. The story hits all the familiar beats of Emma Lord’s signature style while keeping the emotional moments authentic and heartfelt. This was an entertaining ride, and I can’t wait to read more from her. Thank you, NetGalley, for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Set in New York City, Mackenzie and Sam are musicians and former rivals who work on a new duet project after being out of the industry for two years. Emma Lord is an auto-read for me, and this book delivers! While the Daisy Jones and the Six like tension was in the past, this is so much about where they are now and how they have grown in the past two years. This novel also features her two bandmates Hannah and Serena, and I loved seeing their relationship having such a critical part of this story, rather than one-dimensional side characters. I also loved how the third act drama wasn't a typical break up, especially with how Sam is trying to show Mackenzie through time that he will be there and love her. There's still tension, but more like just needing a moment to regroup and work through it together.

This includes:
🎶 Rivals to lovers
🎶 Second chances
🎶 Found family
🎶 Music industry
🎶 Co-parenting
🎶 Punk rock vs glittery pop
🎶 Dual POV
🎶 The worst dessert combinations that I would still try for Ben
🎶 Mature conversations
🎶 Fantastic epilogue

5 / 5 stars

Open door / spicy

Thanks to NetGalley and Rivka Holler with St. Martin’s Press for providing this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

I love Emma Lord’s writing, and this book didn’t disappoint. I’m pleased that she has ventured into adult romance, and will be happy to share and recommend this book to friends and customers.

Thank you to St Martin’s Press and NetGalley for this arc! This was very cute and feels different from a lot of romances I’ve read. This was actual enemies to lovers which I appreciate, like actually hated each other and at each other’s throats. I also just loved Mackenzie, she was an incredible MC. The only thing I wish this book had was dual timeline, I think it would’ve been so cool to see them in the past, in their bands and touring together and then seeing them in the present just to see that dynamic they had because there were a few snippets and that made me want that more.