For the Record by. Emma Lord | ARC Review – Past Midnight Book Reviews & More

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Spice Rating: 🌶️

Title: For the Record

Author: Emma Lord

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 336

Publication Date: 8/12/25

Publisher: St. Martin’s Griffin

Categories: Romance, Contemporary, Musician Celebrity Romance

Disclaimer: **I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.**

Thank you to St. Martin’s Griffin for giving me a chance to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

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.

Content Warning:

+ This is such a fun, quick read especially if you like musician celebrity romance which I do! Mackenzie used to be the front-woman for a pop girl band, and Sam used to be in a punk rock band. When they were blowing it up big in the past their agents made them put on a show for fans – give them a teaser of maybe them being in a relationship, even if they weren’t. Now the band days are behind them but they still want to put out their own music.

+ I loved all the characters in this book from Mackenzie and Sam to his son, Ben, and Mackenzie’s old bandmates who are like sisters to her. There is a big found family and family vibes to this story which I adored. Even if Mackenzie was in a rocky relationship with her friend, Serena, I love that this story explored friendships going through tough times.

+ This is a “what-if”, “bad timing” kind of romance which actually took me on an emotional rollercoaster. It’s a second chance romance and this time Sam doesn’t want to lose her. Because Mack and Sam were pushed together for the media and fans, their chemistry was normal but behind the scenes they never dated. Secretly though, they both yearned for one another. Sam is crazy for Mack. I really did love both of them together. I loved their moments together and I was rooting for them hard because they both deserved a happy ending!

~ So Taylor Swift is mentioned in this book, and yes the cover totally looks like her. I kind of wish that wasn’t the case because I felt like Mackenzie is her own character without needing that comparison. And also, why was Sam’s punk rock band called Candy Shard? It sounds so awkward.

Final Thoughts:

This one is a light-hearted second chance romance with some emotional moments. It’s also a quick read. I loved the characters. I also liked how the story explored friendship and a love relationship that maybe was bad timing in the past. It left me with all the happy feelings!