Review: For the Record by Emma Lord

For the Record by Emma Lord

Blurb from Goodreads:

An electrifying rom com of rivalry and redemption, perfect for fans of Emily Henry and Daisy Jones and the Six, from New York Times bestselling author Emma Lord.

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 the 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.

 

This was sweet and lovely.  A bit more drama than necessary but, in the end, a true love story and I liked how it ended.  It was fun, too.  I loved both Mackenzie and Sam and wanted them together so, so much. I could definitely see this as a movie  and would enjoy that immensely.  Give this a try!

For the Record comes out next week on August 12, 2025 and you can purchase HERE.  

If you think your love life is a disaster, I'm here to make you feel a whole lot better about yourself. Mine wasn't just a disaster, but an international one. As in, anyone on the planet with an internet connection can read up about me and the parade of cliché bad boys, cheating nepo babies, and textbook narcissists I dated while I was touring the world with Thunder Hearts in my early twenties. 

Tonight was supposed to be the night I turned the story around. I was already crafting the imaginary headline as I made my way to the bar: MACKENZIE WATERS ON FIRST DATE WITH NICE, SECURE, 401(K)-OWNING MAN WHO TEXTS BACK IN A TIMELY MANNER! I was the kind of proud that bordered on smug. 

And now I'm propped up on a magenta barstool in the middle of happy hour at Lightning Strike, panic sweating through my pink satin tank top, and shouting, "Can I borrow literally anybody's phone?"