For the Record

by Zipporah Liron

When love lives in the shadows, how much are you willing to sacrifice to bring it into the light?

Julianna Hart has everything the world believes she a chart-topping music career, a diamond engagement ring from baseball's golden boy Carter Briggs, and the adoration of millions who see her as America's Sweetheart. But behind the carefully constructed facade, she's drowning in a life that belongs to everyone except herself.

For two years, Julianna has hidden her heart's that she's deeply in love with supermodel Chloe Rhodes, her supposed best friend who exists in the shadows of encrypted phone calls and stolen weekends at a remote house in the Catskills. Their love is real, but it's also dangerous, threatening to destroy everything Julianna has built since leaving small-town Wisconsin with nothing but a guitar and impossible dreams.

When the pressure to marry Carter becomes unbearable and the cost of deception grows too high, Julianna faces an impossible continue living the profitable lie that keeps her safe, wealthy, and alone, or risk everything for the chance to love her career, her fortune, her carefully cultivated image.

Set against the glittering backdrop of celebrity culture and the music industry, For the Record is a powerful exploration of authenticity, identity, and the courage it takes to live your truth when the world has other plans for your life. It's a love story about choosing the real over the easy, the honest over the safe, and discovering that sometimes the most radical act is simply being yourself.

Contemporary LGBTQ+ Fiction Women's Literary Fiction Celebrity Romance

215 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 30, 2025

About the author

Zipporah Liron is the author of For the Record. She writes about the glare of the public eye from the comfort of a very private life, surrounded by towering stacks of books, vintage postcards, and a concerning number of ceramic owls. She believes the best stories are found in the quiet spaces between the curated images we present to the world. She does not have social media, but her collection of 19th-century botanical illustrations is thriving.

Reviews

[Olivia Troy · Rating 5 out of 5]

good book

This book gave me all the feels in the best way. The story flows so naturally, and the characters have this quiet depth that sneaks up on you. Zipporah Laron knows how to capture real emotion without overdoing it.

It’s beautifully written — sometimes funny, sometimes raw — but always honest. I found myself highlighting lines and rereading scenes because they just hit. Easily one of those stories that stays with you long after you finish.

[Gary Hubert · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Universal Testament to the Courage of Choosing Yourself

I’ll admit, when I was offered an ARC of For the Record, I was initially outside its target demographic. But the premise intrigued me: an exploration of the colossal, often dehumanizing machinery of fame, and I’m glad I took a chance on it.

This novel is, on its surface, a beautifully rendered love story between two women trapped in the gilded cage of celebrity. But to label it simply as an LGBTQ+ or celebrity romance would be a disservice. At its heart, it is a deeply human tale about the universal struggle for authenticity in a world that rewards performance. It’s about the terrifying but essential act of choosing truth over comfort, and love over expectation.

Zipporah Liron’s prose is lyrical without being pretentious, sharp and observant in a way that lays bare the inner lives of her characters. She captures the specific anxieties of fame with such clarity that you feel the claustrophobia of constant observation, the weight of the narrative that isn’t your own.

While Julianna and Chloe’s specific struggle is unique, the core of their battle is not. Their fight to be who they are, to love who they love, against the immense pressure of societal and professional expectations, is a conflict that resonates on a fundamental level. It’s a powerful reminder that the most significant battles are often fought in the quietest moments, within the confines of one’s own heart.

I found myself not just invested, but deeply moved. This is a story about the cost of living a lie and the incalculable value of living your truth. It’s a sophisticated, emotionally intelligent, and beautifully crafted novel that transcends its genre. Highly recommended for anyone who values character-driven stories and the complexities of the human spirit.

[Tanya · Rating 5 out of 5]

For the Record is a moving contemporary LGBTQ+ novel that explores the tension between public image and private truth within the dazzling yet suffocating world of celebrity culture. The story follows Julianna Hart, a beloved pop star, and her secret love affair with supermodel Chloe Rhodes. Pressured into an engagement with baseball star Carter Briggs to protect her "perfect brand", Julianna must choose between living a profitable lie or risking everything to love openly.
The novel delves into themes of identity, love, courage, and the high cost of authenticity. With graceful prose, the author exposes the ruthless machinery of fame while tenderly portraying the intimacy between Julianna and Chloe. It’s a powerful, heartfelt story that reminds us true love deserves to be lived honestly, no matter the societal cost.

[Kelly Miller · Rating 4 out of 5]

“For the Record” by Zipporah Liron is a heart-rending celebrity lesbian romance. Julianna is a popular music performer who has a public friendship with Chloe, a supermodel. Julianna’s publicist, Margot, who helped forge Julianna’s career, urges her to marry Carter, a professional baseball player who has a large following. Margot argues that without this primary relationship cemented in the minds of fans, they will speculate about her and her popularity will wane. Carter is a great guy and is in love with Julianna. When he proposes marriage to her, she accepts. I think this story would have worked better if set in the past, say the 70’s, since being gay in today’s world seems like a mild secret. The writing is first-rate. Unfortunately, I had to read the same scenes over and over; a lot of cutting is needed here.

[J.M. Linden · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book delivers a gripping, emotionally charged story about love, identity, and the brutal machinery of fame. The writing is cinematic and immersive, pulling you straight into the characters’ private world of hidden longing and impossible choices. The tension between public image and private truth is handled with depth and nuance, especially the relationship between Julianna and Chloe, which feels raw, forbidden, and beautifully human.

At times the drama is intense and almost overwhelming, but that’s part of what makes the book so compelling, it isn’t afraid to explore the cost of authenticity in an industry built on illusion. The pacing is strong, and several scenes (especially the dress fitting, the secret moments in the penthouse, and the public hand-holding reveal) hit with real emotional weight.

[Angela · Rating 5 out of 5]

beautifully done

This one kinda wrecked me in the best way. I went in already knowing it would be emotional, but I didn’t expect it to hit as quietly and deeply as it did. It’s very much about loving someone when it’s complicated, inconvenient, and scary, and that tension sits with you the whole time.

What I really liked is that it doesn’t feel flashy or overdone. A lot of the moments are small, almost blink-and-you-miss-it, but they hit hard. I found myself getting super attached without realizing it until I was already way in my feelings.

By the end, I felt everything Juliana and Chloe did. This is one of those books you finish and then just stare at the wall for a minute before moving on.

[Ashlee Mack · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed For the Record by Zipporah Liron. It’s such a heartfelt story with amazing LGBTQ representation. The characters feel real and the emotions hit in a genuine way. I loved how it shows queer community and identity without making it all about struggle. It’s hopeful too, you can tell just by looking at the cover. Definitely worth a read!