Thank you to @netgalley for the gifted arc to read and review. Like most of Emma Lord’s books this was quite cute but for some reason lacking some depth for me. Kind of enemies to lovers, part second chance romance, I never really got the full depth of these two although I do enjoy a book based on music so that was fun. Would have liked to see a bit more of the lyric writing, I did enjoy the scenes with Sam and Ben and Mackenzie and Ben. I feel like this was cute but not memorable.

I love second chance romances and I wanted to love this so much but I just didn’t!! It just felt really long and drawn out. I’ll probably give this author a chance again!!! But sadly this just didn’t do it for me.

Thanks to SMP for the arc in exchange for an honest review!

Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to read this book early. This book allows you to get lost in the characters. They are well developed and the plot is engaging. If you like music, this book is for you. It has a “Daisy Jones and the Six” vibe.

I liked this. It went on maybe a little long but I thought the story was fun and there was little conflict, which I appreciated. Some things felt unresolved - Serena was still a mystery, will there be a Hannah book (should be!), what happens with the fall out with the agency? Emma lord usually doesn’t do multipart stories but i think she should! I want more of these characters!

3.75 stars rounded up to 4

I often feel pulled between my love of punk rock and my love of pop music. I grew up on Britney Spears and the Spice Girls, but I also know every word to My Chemical Romance's discography. For the Record felt tailor-made for me. Two years after Mackenzie and Sam's respective bands have broken up, they're reunited. They played enemies on stage...and were real life enemies, too. Now both trying to stage their solo comebacks, their only chance to get backed by a label is to work together.

What you can expect:
-Enemies to lovers
-Second chance romance
-The one that got away
-Dual POV
-Hot dad
-Found family
-2/5 spice

The chemistry between Mackenzie and Sam absolutely sizzled. I would kill to see them on stage together. They are so clearly down bad from each other from the jump, and I loved following their story. I found myself rooting for them from the first page all the way through the epilogue.

This is truly a love story, and not just between the main characters. This is a story about friendship, redemption, family -- both the kind we're born into and the kind we make, parenthood, and identity. Throughout the novel I was really bowled over by the depth of the story. Sam and Mackenzie both find the answer to the question of what kind of person they each want to be.

Don't mistake the depth of the emotion of For the Record for seriousness, though. This book is so fucking charming. I found myself grinning a huge, goofy grin throughout most of the middle of the book. There are laugh out loud funny scenes. The banter is so quick and so witty. This book has so much heart. I rooted for every single character in this book, which was such a refreshing reading experience.

The lore of the bands, reminiscing about days on the road touring, and following Mack and Sam as they retread their steps in hopes of starting new chapters of their careers was so much fun. I'm so delighted to read about emotionally mature characters who are trying to figure it out and do right by the people around them. I really loved this book, and I'm excited to recommend it to everyone this summer.

Big thanks to St. Martin's Press for the advanced copy of For the Record in exchange for an honest review.

I'd rate For the Record about 3.5 stars. It was an ok romance story. It wasn't terrible, but it fell flat and the characters felt lacking much depth. The conflict, especially between Mackenzie and Serena felt clunky and weird, like there needed to be something but the author wasn't sure what it was going to be.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for sending this book for an honest review.

Sam and Mackenzie were lead singers in rival bands that broke up two years before this story starts. They reconnect after their managers (twin sisters) suggest they will be more bankable as a duo than solo artists. Fans of second chance romances will probably enjoy picking up Emma Lord's latest novel.

This book had an interesting premise and I liked that the side characters had their own story arcs that contributed to the overall plot of the story. I think I'm just suffering from such terrible internet brain rot that I read books like this and just spend the whole time trying to figure out what kind celebrity fanfic is in front of me. Is Mackenzie supposed to be Taylor Swift? Is Sam supposed to be... idk Billy Joel Armstrong? Like I really struggled to understand and/or picture the whole band rivalry. Mackenzie is a pop singer and she goes on tour with a punk band, it just didn't make sense with my limited knowledge of the music industry.

I also think the timeline of the book didn't make much sense. Two years is a sort of normal amount of time between albums/projects and I find it hard to believe Mackenzie's and Sam's record label wouldn't believe that they are bankable as solo artists if they were supposedly as famous as they were.

Despite struggling to suspend my disbelief throughout the story I think the growth of the characters was charming and I was rooting for them to get together when they so clearly loved each other. This book was a fun read overall and I'd probably recommend it to people who enjoy romance books.

JUST TO NOTE - this isn't YOUNG ADULT like I'm used to reading by Emma Lord. I'm grateful that I had the opportunity to read it ahead of time before deciding to purchase it for my high school library.

"For the Record" by Emma Lord is a well-crafted romance novel that explores the music industry through the story of Mackenzie Waters and Sam Blaze, two musicians with a complicated past. The narrative delves into their history as rivals in the music scene, where their on-stage clashes masked a deeper connection that eventually led to a romance. However, their relationship was cut short when both bands disbanded.

Two years later, Mackenzie and Sam are brought together again for a joint comeback album, a move that could revive their careers but also risks rekindling their past feelings. Mackenzie, now performing under a pseudonym due to changes in her voice, and Sam, who has taken on a more domestic role raising his son, must navigate their complicated history while working together.

The dynamic between Mackenzie and Sam is engaging, with a chemistry that feels genuine. Their journey is not just about music; it's also about confronting past mistakes, embracing vulnerability, and finding redemption. The novel touches on themes of identity, family, and the challenges of the music industry, making it a rich and layered story.

Emma Lord's writing is strong, balancing humor and emotional depth effectively. The supporting characters add warmth and depth to the narrative. The setting of New York City provides a lively backdrop for their musical journey.

"For the Record" is a solid read for fans of romance and music-themed stories. It explores the idea that sometimes the greatest successes come from unexpected collaborations. With its engaging characters and heartfelt themes, this book is a good choice for readers looking for a fun yet emotionally charged story.

I love a good second chance romance. This one had so many sweet deep moments in it too. I loved the dual pov and the musical themes. It was just a little harder to get through and felt a little dragged on. But I think it’s because I didn’t really connect with the characters. Everything else was perfect and I can’t wait to read the next book by this author

This book had an interesting premise, but unfortunately, it didn’t quite live up to its potential. The pacing felt uneven, with long stretches where not much happened, and the characters lacked the depth needed to make their journeys compelling.

Second chance romance.
This was a sweet, easy, read. Good buffer between heavier books if you want a break.
Heavy on the self-discovery theme.
Mackenzie and Sam had a sweet romance and comeback.
I felt like I needed more from the plot. I did have a hard time connecting with the main characters.
They seemed to have good chemistry.
I would recommend as a quick buffer book!
I did have a hard time with how Sam behaved at the end of the book - the not listening to Mackenzie, but he still wasn't too bad of a guy.
Thank you NetGalley for this ARC!

I was super excited to read this book from the summary and enjoyed the story but I struggled to connect with the characters. If you want a light popstar romance this is the book for you. The book did feel slow for me at times but I was curious how it would end with the music labels forcing our main characters to work together to stay relevant in the industry.

Read if you like:
🎸 Enemies to Lovers
🎸 Spice
🎸 Music
🎸 Redemption Arc
🎸 Dual POV

Thank you to the publishers and NetGally for this Advanced Release copy. I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This was a fun easy read. We've got some enemies to lovers pop star romance going on. The media has always portrayed them as enemies but there's always been some chemistry between them. They're older now, with more life experience and the setting may just be right for that second chance at love. I enjoyed reading this book. It was fun, it was easy and had a happily ever after. Just like any book with a song I wish I could hear them singing it live

At what point did this book get electrifying? This was a speedy second chance romance with mention of writing a new song in 10 minutes tops several times. The pacing was off, there were too many subplots… I almost DNF’ed.

So I’ve always been a fan of romance and music together. Especially since reading Daisy Jones and the Six. For the Record is such a fun and engaging story that has strong nostalgia between two people with the miscommunication trope.

Mackenzie and Sam have so much chemistry together and they felt like a good match. I was a bit worried where the story was going with her former bandmates being involved but I’m glad they didn’t turn out to be enemies in any way.

Definitely a fun read, has some spice, and very well designed characters.

Once the most notorious rivals in the music scene, pop princess Mackenzie Waters and punk rockstar Sam Blaze electrified audiences as their bands clashed on stage. But behind the scenes, their simmering tension grew into something more ― until suddenly both bands fell apart, and the idea of Mackenzie and Sam did, too. Two years later, Sam has traded the rockstar lifestyle for a quiet life raising the son he didn’t know about. Meanwhile, Mackenzie is dealing with a postoperative change in her voice by only singing under a pseudonym. The only way to revive their public careers? A joint comeback album. With fans over the moon and their futures on the line, Sam and Mackenzie face their biggest challenge yet: giving up their old rivalry and learning to work together. But as old sparks fly and new secrets emerge, they set off a chain reaction neither of them could have anticipated ― one that proves that sometimes, the greatest hits are the ones yet to be written.

Thoughts
Oh I loved this one. I would watch a Mack and Sam movie. It was so fun to read about their past and watch them write songs together. Also never read about a character with hashimotos disease like me. This was kind of enemies to lovers kind of second chance and the third act break up was done well.

2.5

I liked the plot line and where this was headed. Forced proximity with a ton of sexual tension?? This felt right up my alley. Unfortunately, the book felt a bit flat for me and was a bit underwhelming.

The characters were okay, but lacked emotional depth. Mackenzie was a bit annoying and Sam was sweet but arrogant. Nothing really stood out for me about them. Even the friends and family felt a bit two dimensional.

I also think the jump between timelines was a little confusing at times. I would lose track of the conversation/what was happening in the present because it would jump to the past abruptly.

This was a simple, sweet book with a nice happy ending.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for this ARC in exchange for my honest review!

For the Record follows two singers (Mack & Sam) forced to work together on an album, the first either of them will have been on in two years. There’s only one problem, when their bands toured together they had a rivalry that was more complicated than anyone realized.

Overall, I enjoyed this book. I liked that it showed the good and the bad parts of returning to music when your life has so drastically changed. I appreciated that they had a truly complicated relationship when they were younger and are just now coming to terms with that. The side characters were great and there were lots of moments where we got to see other members in Mack’s band and focus on how complicated female friendship can be. Lord manages to make the music interesting without ever making you read an entire book of lyrics which I also appreciate.

This book is nostalgic and thoughtful and very interested in what it means to make a new life while still acknowledging you used to have a very different one.

My one complaint with this book is that they got together VERY quickly. Not necessarily too early in the book for the rest of the plot but just that it felt somewhat rushed when it happened. The pacing for the rest of the book was good so this is a somewhat minor complaint.

Regardless this is a fun and thoughtful story of living and love after all the craziest parts of your life have already happened. It’s a book focused on remembering the good of your life and fighting for the family you’ve made.

Thank you @netgalley and @stmartinspress for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

i’ve read quite a few of emma’s books and i always enjoy them, but i honestly really liked this! lately i’ve been on a big kick of music industry themed books, so this definitely hit the spot! i loved that both of them come from different genre of bands (pop girl band versus punk boy band) from the time. the friendship between mack, serena, and hannah was lovely to see. obviously, what you’re here for is the romance between sam and mack. it’s angsty? but not terribly so. very much a cute, easy read!

I absolutely loved this and the set up of enemies to lovers. It very much gave me vibes of Daisy Jones and the Six. Mackenzie is such a great main character and narrator. You feel the tension and the love and everything in between. I can't wait to physically own this book and reread it and then recommend it out to friends.