Victoria Lavine’s Any Trope but You is a smart, emotionally resonant romantic comedy that playfully subverts genre conventions while delivering all the cozy, satisfying moments fans of romance crave. At its heart is Margot Bradley, a successful romance author whose dirty little secret isn’t an affair or a scandal—it’s that she doesn’t believe in Happily Ever Afters. Not for her characters, not for her readers, and definitely not for herself. After her bitter, alternate story endings are leaked, Margot’s career implodes, and with her chronically ill sister depending on her, she’s forced to reinvent herself as a murder mystery writer. That journey takes her from public disgrace to a snow-covered Alaskan resort where she plans to write her first whodunit—but instead finds herself dodging moose, facing her own cynicism, and crashing headlong into the kind of slow-burn love story she’d long since stopped believing in.

Lavine masterfully balances humor, heartbreak, and chemistry, offering a narrative full of wit, warmth, and tropes lovingly turned on their heads. Margot is delightfully complex—acerbic, guarded, and secretly vulnerable—and her banter with the brooding, brainy Dr. Forrest Wakefield is electric. Forrest, grappling with his own grief and guilt as he cares for his ailing father, makes an unexpectedly swoony counterpart. The pacing is just right, alternating between laugh-out-loud moments and poignant introspection as both protagonists are forced to confront their emotional baggage. The snowy Alaskan setting adds a charming isolation that heightens the tension and intimacy. Readers who love Beach Read by Emily Henry or The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood will find Any Trope but You a standout addition to the genre. It’s a rom-com for cynics, romantics, and anyone who’s ever loved a good trope—even if they swore they never would.

Thank you Atria Books and NetGalley for an ARC of this book.

This fun RomCom has loads of fun; tropes galore, depth of character, strong and meaningful family bonds, and growth and opening of hearts. I always love a good romance about romance writers. Margot is a gem and so is Forrest, it was a pleasure to watch them fall prey to their chemistry and to find their HEA while staying true to their caretaker hearts.

A fun Rom com where she is shipped off by her sister to a retreat to finish her book... in the middle of nowhere. There are letters from her sister every week, and she's forced to go on special adventures in the Alaska wilderness, with Forrest, the guy who practically jumped out a romance novel.

It was cute, spicy 🌶️ 🌶️🌶️, but I am not going to remember it. It was nothing special, but it was a fun read.

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for this ARC publication for an honest review.

This was such a fun, sweet book! Such a selfless, well-matched couple...

Margot is a beloved romance writer...until the moment she is "canceled" due to someone releasing a hidden file where her true feelings on love are discovered! Savannah (the younger sister with a chronic condition who Margot is a caregiver to) sends her away to Alaska to gain perspective and write a murder mystery.

Forrest the grumpy male lead has all the leading romance hero qualities. Throw in an Alaskan wilderness setting and so many tropes...much to the distress of Margot!

While this is definitely a romance, the family relationships and connections were so well done! Savannah making Margot step out of her comfort zone through her letters was one of my favorite parts of the book. Forrest and his devotion to his father (and Jo) was so lovely.

I fully enjoyed this book...except...excessive spicey scenes and too much bad language. How many times does the "F-word" need to be said? It did nothing to enhance the storyline when the sweetness and fun tropes carried the book for me.

Thank you, NetGalley and Atria Books, for this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

I was so excited about the premise of Any Trope but You, and it didn’t disappoint in delivering humor, banter, and plenty of romance tropes. Victoria Lavine’s writing is sharp, witty, and thoroughly enjoyable to read.

I did have a little trouble getting behind Margot’s hot-and-cold behavior when she first arrives in Alaska. We know going into the story that she doesn’t actually believe in the happily-ever-afters she’s famous for writing, and as we learn more about her past, it’s clear why she’s a bit jaded about life (and men). It makes sense that she would throw up some emotional walls when she finds herself in a real-life meet-cute with a handsome leading man, but I was a little thrown by how that sometimes manifested as rudeness toward Forrest, lol!

I appreciated that Margot was self-aware, though. As much as I struggled with some of her early behavior, it did feel true to her character and it was nice to see her slowly open up and begin to trust again.

I liked Forrest's character for the most part, but he had his moments too. I wish there was more depth to his initial attraction to Margot, and I didn’t love how he treated her when things got stressful for him with his dad. It was authentic to the emotions at play, but it still felt a bit harsh.

All that aside, there’s a lot to love about this book! I laughed out loud a ton, the relationship between Margot and her sister, Savannah, was so sweet, and Forrest’s dad was an absolute gem—especially his matchmaking shenanigans with Jo. Honestly, I think the supporting characters stole the show.

If you’re a fan of romance tropes, witty writing, and even wittier banter, I’d say it’s definitely worth a read.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice: 🌶️.5

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for allowing me to ARC read this cute little contemporary romance in return for an honest review.

Blurb
Margot Bradley is a romance author who doesn’t believe in happily ever after. She creates a “Happily Never After” list that gets leaked to her fans during a podcast and she gets canceled. She is dropped by her publisher and her fans turn her away. So, in hopes of reviving her spirit, her sister sends her to Alaska for 6 weeks. While there she plans to continue writing, but not in the romance genre. She wants to write a murder mystery. Turns out, her murder mystery turns into a romance murder mystery. While there she meets Forrest, who is grumpy and gruff and tries with all of his might to stay away from Margot because she’s a guest. However, the attraction is too strong ❤️ and one thing leads to another. Does Margot get her happily ever after or is it a happily never after?

Review
So, this book was super cute. I found myself giggling quite a bit. I loved the idea of throwing every single romance trope that they would think of into a romance story and that the FMC was aware of the tropes/microtropes due to her profession: forced proximity, rolled up sleeves, gray sweatpants, one tent, one bed, enemies to lovers, tall and muscular, doctor, and slow burn.

I enjoyed Margot and her chaotic energy. I liked the growth that she made from the beginning to the end of the story. I liked Forrest and every trope that he represented. He did not make nearly as much growth as Margot did, but it’s ok. He was the eye candy. The banter that took place between the 2 was fantastic. They were witty and well-written. I did enjoy the setting. Most romance books take place in a big city or have a small town vibe. This one was at a lodge in the middle of nowhere Alaska and I loved that. The romance was cute. It was a slow burn with some tension and angst.

However, I did feel like the timeline of the story was a little out of whack. I knew she was going to Alaska for 6 weeks. Not till the end of that time frame did the author state how much time was left. This left me unsure of where we were at within the 6 weeks time frame.

Overall, I thought this was a cute book. It was super entertaining that made the story go quickly. The author didn’t stick around on one thing for too long or harp on one area for a lengthy amount of time.

Review posted to GoodReads on 4/9/25
Review live on Amazon

I loved this book! It almost ended up at the bottom of my TBR list because I judged it by the cover (aaaa sorry not sorry), and I thought it was a Christmas book, instead it is "only" set in Alaska. A place that, after reading this book, I want to visit even more. Margot is, or rather was, a writer of romance novels, the ones full of cliches and the desire to love and cuddle others, but in reality she is a bit cynical, so cynical that she had a document with all the alternative endings, all disastrous and full of scenarios that border on reality. When the world accidentally discovers this side of her, she loses all her jobs. She is thus forced to switch genres and become a thriller writer. This is where Alaska and the dark Forrest come into play. The funniest thing about this book is the accumulation of all the possible and imaginable tropes and the fact that Margot acknowledge them all is even funnier. For a full romance read and a crazy scenario, I highly recommend this read. Thanks to Atria Books for the eARC via Netgalley!

[4 Stars😊] Any Trope but You brought all the humor and charm in Victoria Lavine's debut rom-com! I thought this was a great light-hearted and fast-paced palette cleanser after reading some emotionally heavy books, and I couldn't wipe the smile off my face while I was reading. I can't wait to see what she brings us next!

+Thanks to Netgalley and Atria Books for the ARC of Any Trope But You! All thoughts in this review are my own.
____________________________________
Details:
💘Romance
>>>🎈Romantic comedy
👀Dual, first-person POV
🥀Third act breakup (yes)
📖Books about books
🙌Would re-read

Characters and tropes:
🌪️Broody MMC
⚔️Enemies-to-lovers
>>>🥊Dislike-to-love
🐟Fish out of water
📍Forced proximity
>>>🐴Neighbors
🛏️Only one bed (tent)

Spice:
🧨Slow burn
🔥Spice: hot
____________________________________
Emoji Ranking System:
🤩Excellent to Fantastic (4.75-5.00)
😍Very Good to Great (4.25-4.50)
😊Good to Really Good (3.50-4.00)
😒Just OK to Decent (2.75-3.25)
😑It's A No (1.00-2.50)
🚫DNF

This book had a lot of hype, and I had high expectations for it. It reminded me a little bit of The Simple Wild with the Alaskan setting and the fish out of water scenario for the main character Margot. This had some emotional elements, specifically the emotional toll of caring for the health of a loved one, but it was a bit lighter in tone compared to The Simple Wild. I loved the nods to the romance tropes and though cliche, they all felt very natural in the story. This was cute, but as a seasonal reader I wish this would have been a late fall or winter book release because it was such a cozy, snowy story.

Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for the ARC of Any Trope but You in exchange for an honest review.

Excuse me while I do an adorably obnoxious happy dance because of how much I loved this book. I have been in a reading slump like no other but this book snapped me out of it quicker than a cold shower (which some may find comes in handy after reading this one at select parts). Not only is this book essentially exactly what the title tells you it is, it also has a storyline that sucks you in from the very beginning and keeps you reading chapter after chapter.

Margot is a best selling romance author and she’s also a fraud. She’s a romance author who does not under any circumstance believe in happily ever after thanks to her own jaded love life and those who have let her down repeatedly over the years. All too suddenly, Margot gets a bitter taste of cancel culture when her fans uncover her actual perspective on HEAs and the fact that it’s all a bunch of crap. In order to take time to heal and lick her wounds, Margot’s sister sends her to Alaska on a remote retreat to find her badassery again and do some soul searching. Being that Margot is the caretaker for her sister who suffers from an autoimmune disease, being away for 6 long weeks proves to be impossible. That is until she meets Forrest, the caretaker and son of the resort owner. In true every romance trope under the sun fashion, Margot and Forrest quickly move from enemies to lovers and cross off several other classic tropes on their way to discovering each other and exploring the possibility that HEA may actually exist.

As stated above, I truly enjoyed this book so much. In most cases, romance novels are fairly straightforward and you can essentially tell how the book with end with 98.7% accuracy. However, in this case, I had zero idea how this storyline would conclude being that both Morgan and Forrest are faced with some pretty difficult decisions to make that most certainly are not surface level issues. These two are certainly the very definition of “couples goals” if I’ve ever seen it myself. Any Trope but You hit shelves April 1st, and don’t be fooled, this one you’ll want to get your hands on!

This book is a riot. While it is delivered very tongue in cheek about the romance book industry, it delivers a great message about finding the one you are meant to be with.

Margot is a romance writer that has reached the pinnacle of her career but is struggling with finding happiness in this career. She is very jaded about people getting their Happy Ever After (HEA) so she has created a Happy Never After (HNA) list as a way to combat her distress with her career path. During a live interview, her HNA is exposed to her most loyal fans. She immediately becomes the most hated author in the romance community..

Her sister believes she needs time away to recollect on who she is and why she used to love writing. Margot is not wanting to leave her sister because of her autoimmune issues and the flare ups she gets. Margot is her primary caretaker and is worried about leaving her alone. Her sister books her on a 6 week getaway to Alaska.

Margot is very nervous about Alaska but knows it is a good way to reset. Until she is greater by a moose named Bullwinkle and jumps into the arms of Forrest, the proprietor of the resort.

Forrest is our grumpy MMC that is super handsome and a doctor who has stepped away from his breast cancer research to come take care of his father because his health has taken a sudden decline.

As the 6 weeks progress, Margot is confronted with every trope she has ever written about. She doesn’t expect for her & Forrest to have so much in common.

This book did a great job of developing the characters but also providing humor to keep us smiling. The two discover so much about themselves and each other as they go on these outings. They begin to realize they are facing some of the same issues and challenges.

Well done! Thank you to #NetGalley for the chance to review this book.

I loved this laugh out loud debut from Victoria Lavine! I read it all in one sitting on a plane ride and it was the perfect start to vacation. Romance author Margot falls from grace when her fans find out her dirty little secret…she doesn’t actually believe in HEAs 😱! So with the help of her sister, she changes course and attempts to write a murder mystery while away in Alaska. But while there, her rom com history keeps slapping her in the face as she lives through all the tropes that she used to write about in real life with the handsome doctor in town, Forrest. Margot and Forrest embark on a journey to find themselves as they navigate each other and their families in this heartwarming debut. Highly recommend! 💙

𝑻𝒓𝒐𝒑𝒆𝒔:

💙 Enemies to lovers
🌲 Doctor and writer
💙 One tent
🌲 Snowed in cabin
💙 Alaskan setting
🌲 Possessive MMC
💙 Those forearms

Thank you to Atria Books for the opportunity to read this eARC in exchange for my honest review. Romance author Margot Bradley has a secret: she doesn't believe in HEAs and has a secret file of Happily Never After endings for her popular books. Only it wasn't meant to be shared with the world...cue disaster when the file falls into the wrong hands and the backlash spins out of control. At the insistence of her sister (for whom Margot is a devoted caretaker), Margot goes to Alaska to get away from the madness and take her writing in a completely different direction. Enter Forrest Wakefield, grumpy lodge owner and caretaker for his disabled father. The meet-cute between Margot and Forrest is hilarious and their banter throughout had me chuckling. The slow burn was a bit agonizing (in a good way) and I loved that this book had all of my favorite romance tropes, some laugh out loud moments (always wear pants to an interview, ha!) and that little bit of finding oneself/learning life lessons that I enjoy in women's fiction. I definitely cried a few times, but this book was a wonderful read. Highly recommend!

Any Trope but You by Victoria Lavine follows Margot. Margot is a busy best selling romance author who does not believe in love and is dedicating all her time to care for her chronically ill sister, Savannah. She is outed as a "non-believer" when someone hacks into her computer and to get her inspired for her next novel Savannah sends her to Alaska. There she literally jumps into Forrest's arms, a guy who she thinks looks like every romance character she has imagined, when she sees a moose. Together they run through an impressive number of tropes while both really wanting to stay away from each other but end up giving in.

I thought this rivals to lovers book was cute. I liked Forrest a lot. He basically gave up his life in order to help with his dad's treatment which was so swoony of him. I thought Margot was fine but it worked for this type of book because she is a tough cookie that needs to be dipped in milk to soften her up. The side characters were my favorite and I really wish we had gotten more interaction with them as I thought they made the story very charming. I thought this book was not long enough which never happens but I could have read another few chapters at least of interactions between the sisters and then Forrest and Savannah.

My only true problem with the book was that it was too self aware. Like it felt like the author was trying to be so clever but it only worked sometimes. The book still won me over because eventually she relents but brings it back up in the end but it is enough for me to deduct a star. I still thought the book was really fun though and would recommend it to anyone who likes tropey books that are self aware and also for people who love a Taylor Swift reference.

Tropes: rivals to lovers, one bed, instalove, heart of gold, cinnamon roll mmc, grumpy x grumpy, forced proximity, love triangle, happy for now, tortured hero

Thank you to NetGalley, Atria Books, and Victoria Lavine for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

I loved this book!!! What an original enemies to lovers tale with great banter between the main characters. When Margot’s romance community turns against her, she finds herself in the Alaskan wilderness trying to re-invent herself. Little does she know she ends up in the trope she’s spent years writing about. This book and a snowy day I am sold!

𝗙𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁:

I was blown away this was a debut novel! From 10% in I knew this was going to be a binge read and I had high hopes. It did not disappoint at all, I absolutely devoured this book. I loved the characters, the settings, the adventures, the challenges, the growth, the family dynamics and working in of all the tropes. This book is a love letter to anyone who’s sacrificed their happiness for others. GO ADD TO TBR NOW!

𝐒𝐲𝐧𝐨𝐩𝐬𝐢𝐬:

Margot was a NYBS romance author until she was cancelled by the romance community. It all went down during a live interview when her “Unhappy Ever After” file was leaked. Things couldn’t get much worse: she’s now hated by all and her publisher just pulled out of the book deal she had.

Margot’s sister Savannah however won’t let her sulk and has come up with the idea of a “Reinvention Trip”. For the next six weeks she will be staying at the North Star Lodge in Alaska to regroup and work on a new book. Margot is hesitant to go as she is her sister’s caregiver as Savannah suffers from a chronic disease and has major flare ups. But Margot can’t say no to her so she’s headed to Alaska.

Upon arriving Margot jumps feet first literally into Forests arms to “escape” from an animal. Turns out it’s Bullwinkle the local tame moose. Forest turns out to be the son of the Lodges owner and he’s gorgeous. But Margot puts up walls immediately as there will be no romance on this trip! But Alaska has other plans and during the next six weeks will throw every trope imaginable Marge and Forests way. Can these two strangers who started as enemies thaw into more?

Alaska sure going to test them: From almost burning down a cabin, to Forrest carrying her down a mountain, to one tent this book has it all and so much more.

𝙁𝙖𝙫 𝙌𝙪𝙤𝙩𝙚:

“You launched yourself at me the first time we met, and it was like the whole fucking sun fell right into my arms. So warm, so gorgeous, I thought I was hallucinating.”

𝑳𝒊𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒂𝒓𝒚 𝑻𝒉𝒆𝒎𝒆𝒔 𝒀𝒐𝒖’𝒍𝒍 𝑭𝒊𝒏𝒅:

* Cancelled NYBS Romance Author
* Cancer Research Doctor
* Strangers to Enemies to Lovers
* Her “Unhappy Ever After” File was Leaked
* Extreme Fish Out of Water - Cali Girl to Alaska
* Alaskan “Reinvention Trip” - Six Weeks
* Caregiver Rep - Sacrifice
* All the Tropes w/ Mountain Daddy
* North Star Lodge - No Internet
* Bullwinkle The Moose 🫎
* Dual POV w/ Spice

Margot is a famous romance author who is having a hard time believing the happily ever afters she writes about actually exist. She’s been scorned a time or two and finds solace rewriting her beloved storybook endings with more accurate endings, or as she calls them – happily never afters – where the characters get divorced, deal with awful in-laws, etc. When her file of alternate endings is leaked during a video interview with her loyal readers in attendance, Margot heads to the Alaskan wilderness to escape the negative publicity and to try writing another book in a new genre. There she meets Forrest, who is not only caring for his family’s resort, but also his ailing father. He is not interested in starting a relationship with Margot, but the two keep finding themselves in romance novel-worthy situations, and their attraction becomes hard to ignore.

I have mixed feelings about this one. The author did a great job showing how hard being the primary caretaker of a family member can be. Both Margot and Forrest are caretakers - Margot for her sister and Forrest for his father. It directly impacted every decision they made throughout the story, from their careers to their relationships, while also straining their own mental health. The overall relationship between Margot and Forrest was likable, even though I felt it would’ve been more enjoyable as a slower burn versus an immediate attraction. I did appreciate that they talked through misunderstandings and how deeply they understood each other. My main hang-ups revolve around Margot. She felt a little juvenile sometimes, and the sections where she was in her head felt drawn out and repetitive. This was a very, very strong debut novel, though. I would definitely check out more from this author in the future.

Thank you to author Victoria Lavine, publisher Atria Books, and NetGalley for an eARC copy of Any Trope But You in exchange for my review.

enemies-to-lovers
forced proximity
FMC bestselling author
MMC doctor
set in Alaska
rediscovering oneself

This was a cute romcom but too many things didn't work for me unfortunately it's a 2.5.
The hardest parts for me were the FMC and her decision making. I struggled to connect to her and believe the choices she was making (I can't say too much here without spoilers).
Then the ending. It was RUSHED. The entire book was a slower paced cute romcom until you go to that last 25%.

There were moments that were hilarious, swoony and sweet but overall this one just wasn't for me.

Thank you atria for this ARC.

I really wanted to love this one, but could not get past the negativity from the FMC. She was just too entitled and rude to most of the other characters, so I just did not care for her. I think this ruined my outlook on the rest of the book and I did not enjoy the romance to this either.

‘Be safe, but not too safe.’ 🥹

This was very cute and worthy of all the love it has been receiving! I love how it handled introducing all the various tropes 😍 both main characters were super loveable and I’m so so happy they get their own HEA 🩵🩵

An amazing debut that I definitely recommend if you love cute open door romance books. I can’t wait to read more from Victoria Lavine now 😍