*chef’s kiss*
This book is filled with a former punk-rock MMC, a pop-princess FMC, sparkly outfits & secret identities, enemies to lovers and second chances, found family, emotionally mature conversations, and a super cute ending. This book gave me everything I wanted without being Daisy Jones & the Six. I love when two people seem like they’re made for each other and you get to watch them figure it out for themselves.

I will read more from Emma Lord, thank you for this ARC!

For the record... this was my first Emma Lord book, but certainly not my last!

I thoroughly enjoyed this book! It gave all the music vibes I was hoping it would give, and I love Sam and Mackenzie💗

I can't say much without spoiling, but basically, Sam and Mackenzie are ex band members of two rival bands. They haven't seen each other for over 2 years until Mackenzie suddenly ends up falling into Sam's arms.

This is a dual POV book, I loved seeing both sides of everything! And watching the secrets get spilled out all over the pages!

If you are a fan of romance books with hilarious main characters who love music, then when this book comes out on August 12th, 2025, don't hesitate RUNNING to the bookstore to pick it up!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishing company of this book for giving me an ARC to review! I am hoping to have a blurb on the book when it's published... but I don't know!

My YouTube channel where I will review 'For the Record':
https://www.youtube.com/@liliankay09

My GoodReads where I will review 'For the Record':
www.goodreads.com/liliankay09

I am the biggest sucker for popstar/punk rock boy romances. Like, I will devour it every time. This was no exception. I absolutely loved it. While it kind of started out feeling enemies to lovers, the way it transitioned didn't feel forced or inauthentic or even rushed. I thought it was a quick fun read that had me giggling and kicking my feet and wishing they were real a popstar and punk rock boy.

I am a fairly consistent Emma Lord fan but I think this might be, dare I say, my favorite of hers yet. To be fair, I say that almost every time she puts out a new book but I really think she’s nailed it with this one. Having read both her YA and adult books, it’s been interesting to palpably feel the tonal and linguistic shift between them, but this one, for me, hit all the notes. While not as cozy or baked-goods heavy as some of Lord’s other works, I enjoyed the more serious subject matter and the nuanced side characters who really built up the story so it didn’t feel like just a romance.

Emma Lord is an author I know I can count on for a great book. Her latest, For the Record, was a very enjoyable read.

Thank you to St. Martins Press for the ARC of this book! I read the Break-Up Pact last year and I really enjoyed it, so I was really excited to read this one. This book was an easy five star read for me and if you enjoy Celebrity Romance,, Enemies to Lovers and Second Chance, I think that you would love it as well! Mackenzie and Sam have an obvious connection from the very start of the book, despite the fact that they try really hard to ignore it. Both Mackenzie and Sam, were part of successful band that toured together. In the last 2 years, life circumstance have put both of them out of the spotlight. As they try and ramp up their careers again, they are paired together by their label and forced to collaborate on a number of songs. Their past is a little messy and the future is looking messy as well, but as they work together, they realize that maybe they have more in common than they thought. The love story is sweet, the banter is fun, the relationship feels real and I loved it so much! Highly recommend!

OBSESSED. This has literally all of my favorite tropes and I couldn’t put it down. This was so incredibly enjoyable that it’s going on my list of top reads for the year.

Another solid ARC! Where has this author been hiding my whole life (life = these last 4 years I’m been compulsively reading any romance book I can get my grubby hands on).

I really enjoyed this book and would’ve given it five stars if there weren’t so many cringe odes towards Taylor Swift. She is the white womans Jesus Christ.

I really like the pacing of this book, the characters, the storyline, supporting characters and the smut. I really appreciated how there weren’t any time jumps in the story was continuous and progressed. Can’t wait for this author’s next work.

This story follows MacKenzie and Sam (thank you for giving the characters normal names) as they reconnect two years after their respective bands broke up. Chemistry is really good and instant instantaneous and the character growth is good and they both behave like adults which is good.

This book was incredible! The premise, the characters, the writing style. I loved it all. It’s not often you find a book where you genuinely enjoy both main characters AND (most of) the side characters. Mackenzie and Sam were interestingly complex as individuals and their relationship was depicted with such depth and care. Emma Lord did a great job carrying that feeling throughout the whole book. I appreciated how mature Mackenzie and Sam’s relationship was while still getting peeks into the past when they were at a point in their lives when that may not have been the case. The characters were very self aware and reflective on their past selves. It was lovely to have the third act drama not necessarily be a third act break up but more like a bump in the road they knew they would get through together. The ending itself did make it feel like a complete story but I LOVED the epilogue. It really tied everything together with a bow.

Sidebar- I felt like the author took aspects of Taylor Swift and divided them between the three members of the girl group. I loved the way their friendship was shown- both the good and the bad- and I appreciated how that story line got wrapped up in the end as well. I think those relationships were nearly as important as the main couple and I am glad that was never lost in the book.

Thank you NetGalley, Emma Lord, and St. Martin’s Press for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. I really enjoyed this read!

So good I couldn’t put this book down. I love any book that’s based around music. This book had the perfect amount of humor, heartbreak, self growth and friendship!

I have always wanted to read a novel by Emma Lord, and I was fortunate enough to do so through an ARC. The cover of the novel is so cute and the plot so intriguing. The story follows Mackenzie Waters and Sam Blaze, both famous singers who were once in rival bands that toured together. After two years away from the public eye, each with their personal reasons for retreating, their label suggests they return to the music scene as a duo, a proposition they reluctantly accept. Under a tight deadline, they revisit their old 'haunts' for inspiration, which brings both nostalgia and unresolved emotions to the forefront.

While this novel is primarily a lighthearted romcom, it also delves into heavier themes such as toxic parenting, illness, absentee parents, and the complexities of past friendships and relationships. I found the friendship between Mackenzie and Serena particularly difficult to understand. I felt Serena's actions were extreme and somewhat convoluted. Additionally, some scenes seemed overly lengthy and wordy, but overall, the novel was a fantastic read. I loved the dual POV and reading the stories from their past into the present and how much they have grown. The romance between Mack and Sam was so sweet and seeing Sam with Ben....swoon. I look forward to reading more novels by Emma.

My sincere thanks to NetGalley for providing the ARC.

Obsessed. Emma Lord is an "always immediately yes" for me, she just does not miss!

This will be the perfect beach read this summer! I devoured it in a day and smiled the whole time. I love a used-to-be-famous trope, I love a second chance, and I LOVE a chosen family/girl gang. These characters were so lovable (even when you want to shake them) and the TickTune drama felt quite relevant! My eyes were teary at the end, partly because it was so cute but partly because I wasn't ready to say goodbye to these characters and this story!

I loved every second of it, and I think if you enjoy Emily Henry, Abby Jimenez, or books like Honey and Daisy Jones & the Six, you'll really love this one too!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this eARC in exchange for my honest opinion!

From the beginning I was obsessed with the characters. Honestly, I thought the whole band thing would be a con for me, but I ended up liking the dynamic a lot. The back and forth between the main characters was incredible. I loved that they had a past & that we were able to see into it as the book went along. This is such an easy, fun read and the perfect rom com to read in a day! The ending was fantastic and the epilogue was a great way to tie up the story.

I also really enjoyed the side characters and how they were brought into this to show other aspects of the main characters' lives. Not only were they dealing with their careers and romantic relationship, they also had friends and family that they were balancing relationships with. That added a dynamic to this book that I really liked.

There were a few tears shed, which makes me love a book even more. Will 100% recommend this book! + the cover is so so good!

Ok was very excited for this one based on the blurb!! It definitely drew me in and I needed to keep reading. I finished it in one sitting! I loved the vibe of being old pop stars together with the tension they created for the public eye (but really it was real too). I loved how their love story played out. There were some cheesy things that were distracting (the snapchat/tiktok app she was posting music on) and the drama that came from it. The conflict was all blah to me but I'm glad it didn't really get in the way of their relationship.

Mackenzie Waters and Sam Blaze are both in famous bands and have a pretty “historic” rivalry. Years after they’ve returned to normal life, their labels suggest a way to return on the music scene but, this time, as a duo.

With each song they co-author, they learn something new about the other that makes them realize they never gave real friendship a chance. They didn’t know each other back then, but now, through the vulnerability and transparency, the real Mack and Sam have a chance to come out. No need to be scared—the water’s fine.

As a millennial who exclusively listened to punk rock music in high school, this is how I imagined our protagonists:
Mackenzie was somewhere between Avril Lavigne circa 2007 with the pink streaks in her blonde hair and Margot Robbie’s aesthetic in the Barbie movie. Some moments between Thunder Hearts reminded me of the Cheetah Girls too. I’m a girl’s girl, so if you give me GIRLHOOD, I am sat. I loved the storyline of the girls and their musical career!
Why did Sam remind me of Captain Hook from Once Upon a Time? It’s the charm and the ease and the cockiness that then turns into a really sweet, tender admiration for Mack. I love that he didn’t waver and knew what he wanted. There was only forward with him—no steps back! His honesty and transparency shined through the whole book. I love how clear he was—he didn’t play games.

This book is filled with:
⚡️ a smooth, former punk-rocker MMC
💖 a glittery pop-princess FMC
🧁 hilarious dessert abominations
✨ secret identities and sparkly outfits
🎸 a “Music and Lyrics” collab songwriting vibe
💖 enemies to lovers and second chances
🎶 a glimpse into the music world
❤️‍🔥 found family and emotionally-mature conversations
🪩 lower stress and super cute ending

While this trope isn’t one that I always reach for, I have been nothing but impressed with Emma Lord’s writing. This book wasn’t stressful and was just the perfect amount of “running away from reality” for me. Mack and Sam felt like they were made for each other and once they understood who the other was, their love instantly bloomed. Emma Lord paced their growth as a couple—but also as individuals—in a beautiful way.

I love that it was set in New York City, the magical place where former band members can own a bar and host runway shows. I loved imagining the buildings and city streets and the walks down the block. It made me nostalgic for city life!

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

I loved this newest book by Emma Lord!! It’s a sweet romance novel told with alternating chapters between the main characters Mackenzie and Sam. As their story unfolds, parts of their history are slowly revealed, allowing the reader to understand things that Mack and Sam don’t yet see for themselves.

There are multiple themes woven in involving family, friendship, and the complexities of the music business. The main theme is finding oneself and being true to your heart.

There weren’t as many descriptions of decadent foods incorporated into this novel, but Ben’s creations were entertaining.

Thank you to #NetGalley and #St.Martin’sPress for an eARC of #FortheRecord by #EmmaLord - 5 stars - unputdownable

This was good. The plot was fun and a cute second chance romance. It would make a good summer read. I liked the girl band background, and if you like celeb romances, you’ll enjoy this

Loved this book! Musical rivals , second chance, found family and yearning what else do you need 😩Emma Lord always does a great job at writing characters with substance will giving you all the feels and just enough spice.

There was a lot I liked about this book, especially in the first half. Mackenzie and Sam, the main characters, have interesting backstories that don’t feel rehashed. I often find myself not paying a lot of attention to or caring about side characters, so I was impressed with how this book really made almost all of them distinct, memorable, and relevant to the plot. The writing was good, but it feels like the book could do with quite a bit more editing. My biggest issue with the book is that the Serena/Rocket/Tick Tune plotline felt superfluous - the main relationship and the character development would work just as well if it was omitted or significantly reduced.

This cute rom-com follows two musicians as they rekindle their prior romance. With strong character development and awesome side characters, the story is a fun read. Absolutely loved the banter and chemistry between our main leads! This book touches on a couple of serious topics delicately, which Emma Lord handles exceptionally well in all her books. As always, I can't wait to listen to the audiobook!