Emma Lord's sharp, sweet second rom-com for adults, For the Record, follows two ex-rival musicians forced to collaborate on a joint comeback album. Pop star and glitter fanatic Mackenzie Waters is terrified to perform after a major vocal surgery changed her sound, and former punk-rock front man Sam Blaze is content co-parenting his son, Ben, with his bakery-owning ex and her wife. But their fans--and their record label--haven't forgotten the sparks that flew onstage when Sam's band, Candy Shard, and Mackenzie's pop-diva trio, Thunder Hearts, toured together.
Lord (The Break-Up Pact) switches between Sam's and Mackenzie's perspectives to plumb the depths of their relationship: the onstage-offstage rivalry, the misconceptions, and the witty repartee that (barely) concealed a crackling mutual attraction. Both protagonists examine their reluctance to let anyone in and the push-pull of desire and fear familiar to pop music fans and anyone who's ever fallen madly in love. Lord also comments on the music industry and its tendency to exploit artists via a subplot involving a music-sharing app where Mackenzie has been anonymously posting new songs. As Mackenzie and Sam spend more time together, co-writing songs and daring each other to get closer, they must each decide what they're willing to risk to relaunch their careers and possibly to write a new love story together.
Packed with whip-smart banter, heart-stopping romantic moments, and delectable descriptions of baked goods, For the Record will be a hit with readers who can't resist a love song. --Katie Noah Gibson, blogger at Cakes, Tea and Dreams