This was cute. Loved the setting and the main characters. Loved the use of all the romance tropes- that was done really well. I didn’t enjoy how much foul language was used- it almost didn’t seem to fit the characters. It was much spicier than expected as well.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an ARC for review.

This romance novel is a dream! I loved this so much. This is the story of Margot, a romance writer who is canceled, and her retreat to an Alaskan lodge to figure out the next step in her career. She leaves behind a sister with autoimmune disease, and bonds with the hot son of the lodge's owner, who also is chronically ill. Margot and Forrest are a great couple, with a few very spicy scenes, and their story is told wonderfully. I enjoyed that the author would resolve issues quickly and quietly, usually a chapter or so after the conflict - I'm not explaining it well but the writing felt fresh. This is a must-read for any fans of Emily Henry, Carley Fortune, and the like.

This book had so much potential. From the chronic illness rep, to the romance writer, background, to the travel aspect, to it being set in Alaska. However it just didn't do it for me. First of all, it got so many things about Alaska wrong and that just really bothered me. I did enjoy the different activities it showed in Alaska and how it used Alaska as its own character but if you're going to do that you need to do it properly. The chronic illness rep was done carefully. However, I think it was too cheesy for me and I also am not a fan at all of the enemies to lover trope and that just didn't do it for me at all.

Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC copy I'm exchange for an honest review as always, all words are my own.

When Margot a famous best selling romance writer is caught with a list of happily never afters. Her fans try to cancel her. She decides she's done with romance and will write murder mysteries. Her sister books her stay in Alaska to write her new manuscript and maybe discover her hidden strength. She meets the Resorts grumpy son Forrest.

This book helped break my reading slump. The words hooked me and it kept myself interested in continuing reading. It's spicy and I loved all the different romance tropes. I really enjoyed this romance. I can't wait to see what else the author writes.

The title alone had me interested in reading "Any Trope but You" by Victoria Lavine.

I rate this book a 4.25 ⭐️ and 2 🌶️

If you like: rom-com, forced proximity, dislike to lovers, chromic illness and caretaker reps, only one tent, and Alaskan/wilderness adventure setting then I would recommend this story.


What I loved about this book:
-First off all I love how our FMC Margot is a famous romance author but she herself does not believe in HEA. - Also I like how we get a glimpse/insight in her world.

-This book is so funny! I absolutely rom-coms and I would say that this one had me laughing out loud.

- This story has heart- it some parts I can relate to both Margot and Forrest who both are dealing with taking care of their family members.

I can't wait to read more from Victoria- this was such a good read!

3 stars – Rom-com meets murder mystery… sort of.

Any Trope But You is a cheeky, trope-packed debut with a delightfully meta premise: a disillusioned romance author, an Alaskan resort, and a hunky former cancer researcher turned lodge host. Yes, you read that correctly—and yes, it’s exactly as quirky as it sounds.

Margot Bradley has lost her publisher, her fans, and possibly her mind, after her secret stash of Happily Never After endings goes public. Cue the scandal. Cue the sister booking a writing retreat. Cue the grumpy-but-hot doctor, a rogue moose, and a setting straight out of a Hallmark writer’s fever dream. This book leans all the way into its setup, daring you to try and keep a straight face through snowbound hijinks and slow-burning flirtation.

The banter is fun, the Alaska vibes are strong, and Margot’s inner dialogue is one part snark, two parts existential crisis. I loved the idea of a romance author trying to write a murder mystery while essentially living out a rom-com—but somewhere along the way, the book started juggling too many tropes without committing fully to any of them. The pacing wobbles, the murder mystery thread is more of a decorative ribbon, and some of the emotional beats felt rushed or unresolved.

Still, Margot and Forrest have charm, especially in quieter moments. And the exploration of grief, caregiving, and creative burnout adds depth to what could’ve easily been a gimmicky premise. This debut didn’t sweep me off my feet, but I’m glad I got to check into this frozen little chaos-lodge for a while.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC! Looking forward to seeing what this author does next.

Any trope but you by Victoria Levine

⭐ 4.5
🌶️ 1.5
🥵 Spicy chapters: 17, 21, 26
📚 Tropes/Themes: all the tropes 🤣: forced proximity, doctor x author, one tent, he takes care of her, found family, he falls first and harder, praise, snowed in, enemies to Lovers
👀 Dual POV 1st person
🧠 Triggers: mentions of terminal illness and parental death, autoimmune rep, chronic illness
🛍️ Available: now

💬 Hahahahahahahaha
That's it. That's the review.

Jkjk but this book is hilarious and heartwarming and I love it. And honestly I really enjoyed how the tropes were over the top. I think if book had been a little less self aware it would have been annoying but it worked so well here.

Other rambling, disconnected thoughts on the story that I can't really make into a coherent review at the moment lol:
-I enjoy how they both are "writers", and secretly read each other's work
-The letters so just perfect, I don't know if technically this is that an epistolary trope or not but I just loved watching Margot discover herself through her sister's eyes.
-At the core the story is about sacrifice, I think, and who we sacrifice for versus who sacrifices for us
-The ending was obvious, but I still swooned hard

And finally.

One of the big themes in this book is the effect Margot's actions have on the romance book community, which got me to thinking.

It's interesting the expectations we put on celebs/famous people as if they were some sort of authority on [insert subject here] based solely on their celeb status. Even though there are books that have affected me deeply I just....I can't give over that kind of emotional control to a stranger.

Maybe my little heart is just blackened and shriveled because if this situation played out IRL with one of my fave authors I'd probably just shrug and say whatevs, you do you. 🤣

I thought this book was super cute!! Did it stand out as a favorite romance of the year, no. But did I thoroughly enjoy it and would I recommend it to my friends? Yes!

I really enjoyed the setting of this book - it almost felt like a movie in my head because the imagery was so vivid! I also really enjoyed the tension and will they/won't they of our main characters. And this had a super fun concept with all of the various romance tropes playing out!

A solid 3.5 star read

I loved this book. What a wonderful, unexpected ride. I enjoyed this book very much - it’s a must read! Check it out!

I really did want to like this book. The premise is cute, and I'm a sucker for a self-aware romance book. But this book wasn't self-aware about quite enough, like the fact that we collectively need to be over third act break-ups.

Margot Bradley, a romance writer, flees to Alaska to avoid the fallout from her Happily Never After document -- where she wrote the real endings to her romance books -- leaking. Her sister buys her a six week stay at a resort where she will have no internet so she can escape and recover and write her next book, a murder mystery, and also have a break from taking care of her sister and herself. She of course meets a walking, talking, perfect romance hero, Forrest, and she assumes that he can't be as perfect as he seems. What ensues is a whole bunch of romance tropes -- enemies to lovers, only one tent, snowed in. And a horrible, horrible third act break-up. It's one of the tropiest ones I've read in a long time. And then it takes two months for them to get back together with a bonkers grand gesture. I appreciate what this book was doing. But it just wasn't the right tropes for me.

Any Trope But You read more like a beautiful healing experience than any other romance I’ve had the pleasure to read. I felt like I was on a journey with Margot as she sought to pick up the pieces of her career and her life. I don’t know that I’ve ever read characters that needed each other quite the way that Margot and Forrest did. The way that they understood and respected each other was truly beautiful and an embodiment of what a healthy relationship should be. This story had every single one of my emotions up in arms at some point and I feel truly touched now that I’ve reached the end. I can easily see this being a new favorite comfort read that I will revisit time and time again. I loved every word.

This story was adorable and hilarious! I loved Margot and Forrest’s meet cute and their subsequent journey of falling for each other. I thought that Margot’s sister forcing her to go to this remote resort and write her letters was amazing. Overall definitely recommend this one!!

I absolutely adored this book! It was so cute yet packed a heartfelt punch at the same time. You can tell that this is written as a love letter not only to the romance community but to those who are caretakers for the people in they lives.

I laughed, I cried, I almost threw my kindle across the room…it was an amazing read!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an eARC of this wonderful book!

4 stars

You can read all of my reviews at Nerd Girl Loves Books.

This is a very sweet, spicy rom com set in the frozen tundra of Alaska. Margot is a successful romance author that does not believe in Happily Ever Afters. She has a secret Happily Never After document where she rants about what probably would really happen to her characters in real life. It's a place where she can express all of her disappointments and thoughts about love and how devastating it can be for those that are hurt by it. When that document is leaked during a live interview in front of her diehard fans, Margot is immediately canceled by the romance world and her publisher makes it clear her future with them is on very shaky ground. Her sister, who suffers from chronic pain and whom Margo has been taking care of for years, sends her on an adventure trip to a remote resort in Alaska to recharge and write her next book. Margot reluctantly goes, but what she didn't expect was to find Dr. Forrest Wakefield - the hot grumpy man working at the resort and taking care of his father while he recovers from a devastating stroke. He's the epitome of every romance trope she's ever written, and has every characteristic and physical trait of each of her book's hot heroes. It doesn't take Margot long to realize she's in big, big trouble.

Margot's duck out of water experience in Alaska was funny to read and as an unashamed couch-potato, was very relatable to me. The descriptions of their outdoor adventures, however, sounded beautiful. It even made me want to get off the couch and explore the wilderness for a hot minute. Thankfully, that urge quickly passed.

After being dumped a week before her wedding years ago, and left by every man that was important to her, Margot has no intention of letting a man get close to her or open her heart again. But, that doesn't mean she can't take advantage of the hot doctor's body while she's in Alaska. Forrest is instantly attracted to Margot, but he also has no intention of letting anyone through the walls he's built around his heart. Good thing the couple agree that friends with benefits is the perfect solution to their desires and once Margot's six weeks in Alaska is over, they will part with no hurt feelings. Yeah right. It was cute to see grumpy Forrest's sparks of jealousy over another guest's attempts to woo Margot, and his father's transparent attempts to push the couple together was cute.

It was inspiring how dedicated and selfless Margot and Forrest was to their ailing family members. They are willing to sacrifice their happiness, wants, desires and futures for their families. Even if the family members never asked them to, or even wants them to. It was great to see their growth and healing throughout the book, even when things go terrible wrong once they decide to be happy. I don't like third act break-ups or miscommunication, but the author did it well here and it made sense for the story. I mean, you see it coming a mile away, you just don't know what, exactly, is going to cause it. Never fear, however, because this is a rom com and we always get HEA in rom coms, right?

This is the first book I've read by this author, but it won't be the last. If you're looking for a fun rom com that throws in almost every romance trope in existence into the book with a wink to the reader, this is the book for you and I recommend you read it.

I received a complimentary e-copy of this book from NetGalley and Atria Books. All opinions are my own.

Margot’s life is blowing up because she’s a romance author that no longer believes in Happily Ever After. Her sister sends her to Alaska to write a new manuscript. Turns out there’s no internet and it’s in the middle of nowhere but luckily there’s a handsome, lonely man at the inn.

I really enjoyed seeing all the different tropes in this book. I loved the isolated location and the side characters had a lot of life and added to the story. I’m looking forward to more books from this author

“I think he knows. I think he sees every hidden part of me, and for the first time ever, being known doesn’t feel like a threat. It feels like coming home.”


ARC PROVIDED BY NETGALLEY IN EXCHANGE FOR AN HONEST REVIEW


Please don't take into consideration the time it took me to finish the book, I had something personal that didn't let me read for days. But I could've easily finished it in two days and that's because of work.

I knew before I hit the 50% mark that it was going to be a 5 stars read. That is how much I loved it.

It's so human and heartfelt and full of love in different forms and honest. Not only we have forrestmargot and their love but also familiar love with savannah and trapper, and the self love our leads have to experience in their journey.

Our side characters were amazing as well and I'm hoping with all of my heart someone gets the next book so I can have more of forrestmargot because I'm not ready to let them go.

I'm super grateful to Atria to have sent me this book because now it definitely has a special place in my heart and I truly can't wait what else this author writes after such a beautiful debut novel. Congratulations!!


Some of my favorite not so spoilery quotes but, just in case be careful:

“Margot Bradley shouldn’t be a mystery to me, but every time I try to file her into one of the neat little gray boxes of my mind, she bursts out in vivid color, making me question her all over again.”


“Forrest, who trips all my alarm systems with one dark glance. Forrest, who, simply by existing, challenges the beliefs over which I lost my career and beloved readers. Forrest, who has his own probably excellent reasons for regretting our kiss, which I’m not at all curious about. Forrest, who terrifies me.”


“Margot. Her strength in the face of a complete career collapse. Her loving devotion to her sister. The way she felt beneath me and how badly I want her there again. It’s a giant red flag snapping in the wind, but I’m no match for the powerful chemical cocktail of testosterone and dopamine that my brain pumps out whenever I think of her. Instead of measured expectations, I see us waking up together on the weekend in California, warm and slow and hungry for each other in the soft morning light. I see myself taking her to my favorite coffee shop and the Pasadena farmers market to hunt for perfect avocados. I imagine the way she looks in her natural element, free of parkas and snow boots, with the Santa Ana wind in her hair and the sun kissing her golden skin. Christ Almighty. One kiss with this woman and I’m already planning our future together.”

Was not a fan of the FMC… She immediately treated the MMC like a servant and beneath her.. which just did not sit right with me at all. For me personally she didn’t recover from that, the relationship also just fell flat for me, the chemistry was not there.
Just wasn’t a book for me :)

What a fun, steamy, trope-filled ride this was!! I really enjoyed Victoria’s writing and can’t wait to see what else she has in store.

This went okay for me. I think if you liked the book Unromance by Erin Connor you would LOVE this book. I know it has been such a hit for many so far and I would give this author a try again.

Something happened early on that just gave me such an ick I couldn't recover. When the FMC arrives at the resort she treats the MMC like he's a servant taking a shower with the door open (they had just met briefly so honestly that feels like harrassment) and calling out for him to get her water and fold her clothes. This is confusing to me for several reasons. I get she's a very successful author like upper echelon Emily Henry kind of notoriety, but especially with how she is a caretaker for her sister and how her financial situation is one bad book deal away from losing their nice house she just does not seem like the type to demand that kind of thing from people?? It's not like an actual celebrity trope. And also she has read the room that this is a remote location in Alaska so they wouldn't have that kind of amenity/expectation anyway. It was just all so odd. I felt like many things would happen out of character or logic throughout the rest of this to force the plot.

I also never felt like either of them gained any chemistry with each other. But the thing is the bones of the writing quality are great. There is more to come from this author and I hope I love it. Thank you to Atria for the eARC and I am genuinely so happy for everyone this was a hit for.

Any Trope but You was a witty, cozy, unexpectedly emotional gem that completely swept me off my feet. This author’s debut delivered everything I never knew I needed—fake flannel, forced proximity, emotional healing, and yes, an actual moose. Margot Bradley was the kind of heroine you root for from page one: snarky, wounded, self-aware, and navigating a truly spectacular fall from grace after her secret anti-HEA document leaks. Her voice crackled with humor, heart, and the kind of weary vulnerability that made every page feel like a confessional.
And then came Forrest Wakefield. Grumpy, brilliant, and heartbreakingly devoted to his ailing father, Forrest was the perfect slow-burn love interest. The chemistry between him and Margot simmered like a pot of cocoa on a woodstove—sweet, warm, and with just the right amount of tension. Their banter had me grinning, but it was their moments of quiet honesty that made me believe in their story.
The Alaskan resort setting was a character in itself—charming, quirky, and the perfect escape for two people pretending they don’t believe in love. The author cleverly layered romantic comedy tropes with sharp commentary about grief, burnout, and creative reinvention. Every scene managed to balance hilarity with heartache, and somehow, amidst the snowstorms and sabotaged manuscripts, the author convinced me that even the most jaded among us might find their way back to hope.
This wasn’t just a rom-com. It was a soft, funny, healing story about writing new endings and daring to believe in love again. Five glowing stars and a recommendation to anyone who has ever rolled their eyes at a love story… while secretly wishing they were the one in it.
Thank you to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!