Book Review: For the Record by Emma Lord

Official Synopsis: 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.

I've read quite a few Emma Lord books at this point and posted them on this blog and they all always have a cozy feeling to them. This book is no different, but it also has a great rivals to friends to lovers trope as well as them both being involved in the music world.

Mack and Sam have been through it, starting out competing in the music scene to touring together as a 'will they won't they' dream to sharing a kiss then having Sam disappear. Over the last two years Mack has been trying to get over Sam, and their kiss that lead to nothing. She has also been dealing with medical issues, Hashimoto's to be exact, that has caused her to need surgery that has left her singing voice changed. Because of this, she has been posting songs anonymously on an app as Seven, who writes songs about their former heartbreaks. Only one person in her life even knows she is Seven, one of her former co-girl group members, and has been pushing her to post the seventh song, written for someone Mack didn't imagine she'd see again.

When Sam shows up to their old haunt and sparks up a conversation, Mack isn't sure what to do. They both haven't broken back into the scene, and when there is a chance that writing and singing together could do that it feels stupid not to. Except writing songs with someone you used to have feelings for, and haven't seen in two years, isn't easy and Mack's defenses immediately go up. As her and Sam continue to work together, the feelings they felt those years ago seem to be growing back...with a vengeance. But Sam doesn't know Mack is Seven, and that the seventh song is about him.

I really loved how these characters fell into their old dynamic of picking fun at each other, while making it more flirty then before. Both of them also have grown a lot over the last two years. Mack trying to figure out what her career looks like with her voice change and Sam trying to keep the relationship with his six year old son out of the limelight. As they work together to write songs, they spend time in close quarters, which has them sharing secrets, hopes and maybe kisses. But there are still things each of them are hiding and have to work through and the more their feelings grow the harder it is to share these things with each other.

As someone who has also experienced thyroid issues I really enjoyed how it was done and how Mack handles everything that is thrown at her. Even with the changes to her vocal cords and life, she is working on being confident in her new self and what she has to offer the music world. I also really liked Sam's family situation, with him living in a connected apartment with her ex and her girlfriend and their son. Ben is an absolutely delight of a child and I love a good six year old to shake things up.

Overall, I really enjoyed this story and how the plot plays out. I do think both characters hide things that they think are 'big' that aren't, but don't we all do that at times? I also liked the people around the characters who supported them in their journeys.

I rated this book 3.5 out of 5 stars!

For the Record is out now!

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