This was my first Juliana Smith book, read without realizing it was part of an interconnected standalone series! If you are looking for a light-hearted and quick read I would recommend!

The MMC is absolutely head over heels from moment one and I was obsessed with how mushy this man is for her. I loved his chapters and the way he's been pining for YEARS over her. The entire plot of the book (secret best friends end up married after a drunk night in Vegas) was so refreshing and I was hooked from chapter 1. The third act conflict (more like final chapters conflict) was not heavy and falls closer to the category of lack of communication versus a miscommunication type of trope.

Despite how much I loved the plot, it was only a three star read for me. I found the pacing a little bit difficult to keep up with. It is written from a "then" and "now" perspective, without must context as to how much time stands between "then" and "now." Additionally, while it is considered to be a very PG rom-com story, I found that it was hard to figure out what the exact history was between the two of them until much further into the storyline. Unless that was a deliberate choice to make the reader wonder if they did spend the first night together hooking up or if it had ended with a drunk make-out, I struggled to tell if they were constantly pining for a memory or in anticipation of unknown.

Ultimately I enjoyed it and eventually will make my way through the previous Wells family stories as well!

Thank you to Victory Editing NetGalley Co-Op for the advanced copy of For The Record (Wells Family #4) by Juliana Smith in exchange for an honest review.

I wanted to like this book, I haven’t read many marriage of convenience stories, but love a grumpy x sunshine, and an accidental Vegas wedding sounded like a great opportunity, but unfortunately the then/now storyline was too disjointed for me to follow than a usual flashback. the writing was excessively descriptive at some points and felt like they were trying to reach a word count and I found myself skipping over paragraphs that didn’t offer much necessary info. For these reasons, I did not finish the book.

I feel like if the story had been told in order and was just the dual POV, I would have eaten it up, but as soon as I started connecting with the characters and understanding their relationship, the POV and timeline changed and it took me out of it every time.

I will say that from what I read, the author did a great job making it a standalone in a series. Sometimes it is hard to come in to a series because there’s too much info that you missed out on from other books but I had no issue with this aspect.

Because I did not finish and I was interested in the story aside from the hard-to-follow timeline, I would give it a 2.75 rating.

4.5 stars (happy release day to this beauty 🥺❤️‍🩹)

❛❛ she was the kind of woman that made you forget there were even other females out there. ❜❜



・❥ marriage of convenience
・❥ two timelines narrative
・❥ grumpy X sunshine
・❥ friends to lovers
・❥ mutual pining
・❥ closed door
・❥ biker mmc
・❥ slowburn
・❥ romcom


I think it's safe to say that I am enamored with Juliana Smith's prose and how she always articulates it in a delicate and pure manner. this book truly felt like a warm hug. the dichotomy between the characters, the contrast between their past and present relationships, their cute first encounter, their highs and lows – I would not alter anything about them because everything was simply perfect for the personages.

”we were both different. But in the best possible way. growth, that was what we each had. separately and then together.”


Rachel was the personification of the joyous, sunshine main character, with her sordid but hilarious kind of humor, her maladive obsession with records, and her heartwarming yet heartbreaking relationship with her father. she was an attaching personage with all the perfect and imperfect aspects of her personality. as for Adam, he was the incarnation of the mysterious, inked male main character, a bit darker, a shade quieter, and a little reserved, even borderline shy, but nonetheless lovable.

“don’t you think, in some way, you’ve been mine since the night we met?”


the storyline was curved through a marriage of convenience arc that they both agreed to after an impromptu, drunk Vegas "eloping". their waltzing around each other for years, despite their fear of ruining what they had, was something I surprisingly loved. it so slowly but deliciously ricocheted into the dual timelines narratives. although their personalities were at the antipodes of each other, their relationship was perfectly harmonized within the chapters of the book. they were perfectly written for each other.

”she cradled the flowers and looked at them like they were some kind of precious ruby. An artifact meant to be handled with a gentleness that a man like me didn’t have. Essentially how I felt having her anywhere near my arms.”

Adam’s chapters were without contest my favorite, simply in how he evoked her in his inner monologues, his obsession with accomplishing everything to make her truly happy and alleviate the burden of her problems. he is without a doubt my new favorite bookboyfriend, and this book is now a new go-to comfort read for me.

many thanks to Netgalley and the author for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review

Thank you to the author and NetGalley for the Arc copy in exchange for my honest review.

I really enjoyed this book. I didn’t realise it was part of a series so will definitely be going back to read the other books.
Adam and Rachel have such a genuine relationship written so beautifully that it keeps you hooked!
I love the family/friends dynamic and how they always help support each other!
If you like friends to lovers, grumpy sunshine, fake marriage tropes this ones for you!

I have absolutely loved this series but this book is my absolute favorite! Adam is the sweetest man ever and i am obsessed! Adam and Rachel were perfect for each other and thank god they finally had a chance to be together after knowing each other for so long! They had an amazing dynamic and i couldnt get enough of these two! loved the tattoo scene 😍the dual pov in the past and present was perfect for this story! i highly recommend this whole series!

Every book in this series just keeps getting better, and with each new release, I find a new favorite couple and book boyfriend. (+ Rachel and Adam are meant to be!!; I adored literally everything about them! This series is incredibly special to me and will always hold a place in my heart.
Their relationship felt so authentic and honest, hooking me from the very first page. Adam, with his grumpy yet sweet and soft demeanor, and Rachel, with her sunny and loving personality, made for obviously a perfect pair hehe. Adam's huge heart and attentiveness won me over and made me fall in love instantly. Their beautiful relationship, evolving from strangers to friends to lovers, radiated off the pages with undeniable chemistry and love.
I cannot praise this book and series enough! Please, please read this series-I'm obsessed with every character, couple, and the beautiful Juliana herself.
Marriage of convenience
Found family
Dual pov
Dual timeline
Grumpy x sunshine friends to lovers

You guys, I adore this book!! This series has been so good and each book has been even cuter than the last. Adam Wells is the grumpy military man who loves his family and Rachel Clarke is the sunshine, music-obsessed woman who changes his life from the moment they meet.

These two had one fun night after meeting at a bar before realizing they had other friends in common. Rather than let people know they've already met, they keep it a secret and become best friends on the down low. When Adam's brother Liam is remarrying his wife Marigold in Vegas, Rachel and Adam end up (not so) accidentally married as well!

The connection between these two was absolutely adorable. I loved how protective Adam was and how much he wanted to do for Rachel. Rachel was exactly the kind of friend (and more) that Adam needed to come out of his shell and give his life more meaning. There were so many sweet, heartwarming moments, especially the ones with Rachel's dad!

If you love a light-hearted, sugary-sweet, friends-to-lovers, marriage-of-convenience story, this book is for you! I can't believe we are almost done with the Wells Family, but I've enjoyed every minute of this series!

Thank you to Juliana and Victory Editing for the ARC!

I loved this book! It’s a 4th in a series, but you definitely don’t have to read the first three to follow along. The way that each chapter had a song tied to it was so much fun.

What to expect:
- dual pov
- dual timelines
- married in Vegas / “fake” marriage
- lots of music

*thank you to the author and netgalley for an e-arc of this book in exchange for an honest review

This book was so cute! I love me a sweet swoony romance and there was so much to love. Our grump Adam and sunshine Rachel were perfect for each other 🥰 All the Well’s family books have something for everyone!

Read if you like:
👩🏼‍❤️‍💋‍👨🏻 friends to lovers
💍 marriage of convenience
🌤️ grumpy sunshine
🫂 found family
👥 dual POV

This book is the epitome of grumpy/sunshine and I loved every minute of it! I liked the dual timeline and how you got the history of their relationship/friendship in tandem with their current status. Adam, the tattooed, strong, silent type gave all the swoon in the way he adored Rachel. Rachel was sunshine personified. I loved the way Juliana made her character so relatable. I’ve loved every single one of Juliana books and this one is a priceless record!

Thank you to Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op for the ARC of For the Record in exchange for an honest and independent review.

This is now the second book I've read in the the Wells Family Saga and at this point, I just love the Wells family in their entirety. Having now read books 3 and 4, I will most certainly be going back to indulge in books 1 and 2 (it's only right after all). After the conclusion of book 3, centered around Liam Wells and his wife Marigold, I was more than excited for the release of book 4, which is centered around Adam Wells and his love interest, Rachel. Never fear, if you're missing the rest of the absolutely adorable Wells family, they each play a part in the journey that is Adam and Rachel's love story! Eeek!

For the Record is essentially a love story between two best friend that spans several years, time hopping between then and now. From their adorable meet cute at a bar where Rachel tries to shoot whiskey like a champ, to a very drunken night in Vegas where they wake up to find themselves married, For the Record is a love story for the ages between two best friends that are too stubborn to admit that their relationship is anything more than platonic after a drunken one night stand.

In a fun twist, Rachel ends up to be the roommate of Luke Well's girlfriend, Layla. Being that it's clear Rachel and Adam are going to be seeing a lot of each other through their mutual connection to the Wells family, they decide to keep their acquaintance under wraps and agree to be strictly friends. That is until they find themselves married and discovering how this marriage arrangement could be mutually financially beneficial for the both of them to see it through, for awhile that is.

Adam, the broody military man of few words and Rachel, the exuberant, musically inclined, high maintenance beauty, are certainly an unlikely pairing, but something about this match works oh so well. Rachel, who never stops talking, is the yin to Adam's yang and his propensity for listening deeply to all Rachel has to say. They exist in comfortable companionship that most people would dream of and despite what they try to portray, a deep love exists between them both that cannot be quantified or labeled.

Will they be brave enough to acknowledge what each of them refuse to admit exists between them both, or will their marriage of convenience run it's course thereby allowing them to go their separate ways in the end? I highly encourage you to pick up the newest installment of the Wells family saga. I absolutely adore this family with every ounce of my being and they need to be their own TV series, like yesterday. The only thing that could have made this even marginally better is a bit of spice between the characters because the sexual tension is always high, but nothing ever comes of it, which is a bit of a letdown for readers who simply want Rachel to just finally take charge and rip his clothes off already!

While this book does not have the spice element, it does have a beautiful love story curated through years of friendship and emotional trials. The end of this book had me bawling, heart split right open, by the beauty of their relationship at the end and Rachel's relationship with her father, Jack, who has early onset dementia. This book spoke to the core of every daddy's girl and love that knows no bounds and for that, it's beautiful and real.

I highly encourage you to run out and grab this one today as it hits shelves this very day! While you're at it, you might as well also pick up the first 3 along with For the Record so you can experience the love that is the Wells family in it's entirety, as there are certainly more books to come in this family saga!

In my review for Per My Last Email, I said, and I quote, “I’m not sure if she’ll ever top the wonderfulness that was I Can Fix That. ICFT was one of my favorite books, and all future books of hers will most likely be compared to that.” Well…here we are after reading For The Record and I’m officially comparing it to ICFT. And it’s very likely that FTR has become my new favorite! There was just something magical in this story. I loved it so much, and I loved Adam and Rachel a lot!

One of the things that Juliana Smith does SO WELL is creating swoon worthy moments and writing quotes (whether short or long) that pack a punch and capture the moment so well. She had some quotes that were short and sweet, but that melted me all at the same time! “Nothing could be worth more than you.” “I told you. There’s nothing out there I wouldn’t do for you.” “Yeah, that’s my wife.” Every woman deserves her own Adam who says things like this. Especially that last one. Ooff. It melted me as I read those four little words.

A wedding in Vegas…a marriage of convenience…these are not things I typically enjoy in books because they’re not things I generally like in real life. However, this book has changed that for me. When it’s Adam and Rachel, I love Vegas weddings and marriages of convenience (insert winking eye emoji here!). When they realized what they had done, the obvious first thought was “let’s get a divorce” and I’m so glad they didn’t. These two are couple goals!

I also loved, loved, loved how this book was structured. Dual points of view (Adam and Rachel) and dual timeline (when they first met and present day). This helped to tell the story so well and allowed us to see where they started and how they go to where they were to this day. I loved the family dynamics in this story. Of course, the Wells family is just incredible and I realize that more and more with every new story in this series. But I also really loved seeing Adam and Rachel with Rachel’s dad, who has dementia. Talk about sweet! I’ll say it again…#couplegoals!

But also…where can I sign up for my own Adam??

Rachel and Adam hook up after drinking too much in a bar. They later figure out that Rachel’s best friend is dating Adam’s brother. They decide to be friends and secretly communicate while Adam is deployed. While in Vegas for Adam’s brother’s wedding, Adam and Rachel get drunk and wake up married. This is dual timeline and dual POV and a sweet story.

I love the transition from one night stand, to friends, to accidental marriage/lovers. The main characters were so sweet together and had great chemistry and I love that we got to see their story from both character's POVs. In the beginning, Adam was a poor communicator, and was unable to express his feelings, and due to this, Rachel was unsure of where they stood, relationship wise. From there, the couple goes to Vegas, get's drunk, and wakes up married. Their relationship progresses from there.

Rachel's love for her dad was also very sweet, and I love how Adam fit right in as well. Also, the fact that Adam had literally shown her dad the ring and asked for his blessing before they even got married (accidently), was the sweetest plot twist that I wasn't expecting.

I will start with, I am in LOVE with Adam Wells.

They truly are the definition of being someone's person. the grumpy sunshine was just top tier. Adam being the quiet guy and Rachel understanding and being able to read between his lines. i just melt every time he opens his mouth. The tension was just perfect, especially with the dual timelines showing all the pieces of them and what led to their friendship and relationship. Adam was a huge broody grump with the the sweetest cinnamon roll center and Rachel is such a ray of sunshine. Also, i'm a suckerrrrr for text messages in books and this book really scratched that itch for me! This book truly truly truly took my heart.

this is my fav Juliana Smith book so far! I loved Rachel & Adam so much, they both have such opposite personalities that just mesh so well as friends & as partners. I loved their instant attraction, deep friendships, & deep long lasting love they have! Adam is the sweetest, softest cinnamon roll of a hero, who’s so in love with Rachel he’ll do anything & everything for her! and Rachel gives such unconditional love & friendship to Adam, always giving him comfort & love 🥹🫶

some sensitive & traumatic familial elements are handled with such grace in this story, as well as so much silly love & happiness between Rachel, Adam, her father, & his family. I loved all the familial & friendship moments of this story so much!

I also reallllyyyy vibed with her playlist for this story! so many classic favorites of mine, ESPECIALLY BILLY JOEL!! he’s one of my absolute faves 🤭 overall, this is just a truly lovely, vulnerable, hilarious story full of love & tenderness 💛

I LOVED this book! Rachel and Adam were so sweet, and I loved the opposites-attract situation they had going on. I loved how protective Adam was of Rachel and how that shined through in some of the scenes (when he bought the motorcycle? Swoon). I adored the relationship between Rachel and her dad and seriously cried at the end of the book. I’m definitely keeping my eyes peeled for Crew’s book!

"She's so pretty. Pretty like the sun setting when you're out on the ocean. Pretty like the sight of my driveway after a long work trip. She was like this compass, constantly pointing me toward her. Never wavering, never faulty, always to her. Every piece of her felt like home."

I have been reading Juliana's books since the beginning. So being on this journey to what is now her 6th book, is truly special to witness. She has grown so much as an author and I am serious when I say this. This might be my favorite of hers yet. I think I say that every time, but that's besides the point. For The Record is everything you'd want in a rom com, a little bit cheesy, a little bit swoony and a lot of bit sweet.

For the Record is part of an interconnected series, however this could definitely be read as a standalone. There are nods to previous characters, but I think that you could pick this book up today and not feel lost at all.

Rachel and Adam are I think my favorite characters Juliana has written yet. I fell in love with them rather quickly. Their story is a strangers to lovers story and it couldn't be any sweeter. It is full of a rollercoaster of emotions and written in a dual POV and dual timeline which I think is so perfect for this book because you get their whole relationship from start to finish. All in all I loved it and I think you will too!

oh. my. days.
I loved these two!! There aren’t enough words for me to express my love for this book, Rachel and Adam are right up amongst my favourite book couples.
Adams need to nurture and constant reassurance to Rachel that he’s there for her, from visits to her dad to the simpler way of just saying those words. He is an angel, and I do agree with the teddy bear assessment!
Rachel is such a sweetie, her love for dressing up and music related massively with me, most likely contributing to why I loved this book so much. She’s unapologetically her with Adam and all those around her and it makes me respect her character all that much more.
Them together as a couple makes so much sense! Their chemistry was so natural, their speech was never awkward but flowed so nicely and truly was realistic, which is one of my favourite things in books.
Juliana you are a brilliant author, your writing, character arcs and music taste deserves you a five star rating on your own!
I highly urge everyone to read this book, it’s a masterpiece, so much so I devoured it in a few hours and regret nothing. Absolutely nothing.
I’ve posted the same review on Goodreads (as of now) and I plan to post on tiktok within the next few days! The review on good reads is under Molly, (molls library) 💗

Adam and Rachel won’t leave my mind after I basically flew through this absolutely amazing book! I reall enjoyed this cozy romance that has its wit! You should read it if you like following tropes:
Marriage of Convenience
Friends to lovers
Grumpy x Sunshine
Found Family