Ah yes, we love a meta romance moment and ANY TROPE BUT YOU is full of meta...and steam. Set in the wilds of Alaska with a jaded romance author and a burly wilderness guide (who is obviously so much more than that), Lavine gives us all the tropes in a heartfelt romance that has you rooting for the characters, their relationships, and their personal growth.

A romcom set in Alaska about a romance writer who doesn’t believe in happily ever after (relatable). Once her beliefs are exposed to her readers, she sets off on a weeks-long stay at a remote lodge in Alaska, where she’s determined to write a murder mystery until she meets Forest, the human embodiment of every romance trope ever!

The premise was super cute, but there were many parts that didn’t work for me. I felt there were too many things happening in the plot, the ending was rushed, and there was too much spice & too many Taylor Swift references. I loved the banter and found myself LOLing. I think this is a pretty solid debut novel cheesy at times, but overall, it’s okay.
3 stars


Many thanks to Atria Books and NetGalley for the e-ARC

First I want to start off by saying thank you to Atria Publishing and NetGalley for the eARC of this book!


After a debilitating hit to her career as a romance author, Margot Bradley, is sent off to the Alaskan Bush to live off the grid, produce a murder mystery draft of her new book( for her romance is dead) and reinvent herself. While doing so Margot gets a lot more than she bargained for in this delicious story! Full of angst and longing from both FMC AND MMC. This book makes you feel all the emotions!

What do you get when you throw together a canceled romance author, a grumpy wilderness proprietor, and a moose named Bullwinkle in remote Alaska? One of the best romance novels I’ve read this year, that’s what.

Margot, a complete fish out of water, perseveres through the toe numbing cold of Alaska to re-event herself after her fall from romance’s good graces. Forrest is a burly, grumpy, hot doctor who wants this California girl so far away. Did I mention he also embodies every book trope we love to drool over?

What a debut! I sincerely mean it when I say this is one you need for your shelves!

Thank you @atriabooks for the gifted arc and finished copy. Thank you @netgalley Any Trope But You is out today!

xo

This was such a good read!! Forrest is everything🤤

Read if you love:
🫎 enemies to lovers
🫎only one bed
🫎she is reinventing herself
🫎grumpy/sunshine

Thank you for the advanced copy of this book. My reviews can be read on my GoodReads account here: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/1335387-kelly

After being outed as a romance author who does not believe in happy ever afters Margots sister sends her of to a remote cabin in Alaska where she plans to write a murder mystery. Instead she meets the handsome owner Forrest and she starts to change her mind on the romance

Such a fun story that kept me hooked right to the very end and i thoroughly enjoyed the setting of the story

Thank you so much to Atria Books for the gifted ARC!

Title: Any Trope But You
Author: Victoria Lavine
Pub Date: April 1, 2025

Quick thoughts: This was was so easy to fly through, had some super sweet sister moments, and the perfect Alaskan setting!

When best-selling romance author, Margot Bradley's secret gets out that she actually DOESN"T believe in the happily-ever-alters she peddles to her readers (*GASP*), her whole world is turned upside down! In order to get away from the tabloids, gossip, and stress, she decides (or rather her sister decides for her) that she's going to head to Alaska to write a murder mystery instead. Honestly, that seems like a genius idea to me- LOL!

While Margot is away on her trip, she's very worried about her sister's chronic health issues. Much of this story focused on the relationship between the two sisters and all the pros and cons that come with living together and being so co-dependent on each other. I really like the way the book handled things between them by the end and cared more about that than the actual romance of the story!

The romance itself was cute enough, but I think the focus was more on Margot's character development and self-awareness. There were definitely times she made me crazy, but she grew on my by the end!

There were 3-5 scenes spicier than I prefer to read, but they were always at the end of a chapter and easy to skip over if you don't prefer to read them.

Overall, this is definitely worth picking up!

@beccamfreeman put this one on my radar and it was so much fun!

I started this one really jonesing for a good rom-com and got so much more!

I am honestly shocked that it is a debut! I love a good enemies-to-lovers slow burn jaunt and getting to meet Margot and Forrest was a real treat! I think my favorite thing about this story, and this is going to sound like duh…, but it was @victorialavinewrites writing!

It was so funny and quirky that I felt like I was talking with my best friend. Tougher topics like supporting someone you love through chronic illness and just…losing faith in love were explored in real and relatable ways. I loved how Margot was cringey at times but aren't we all?
Also, chefs kiss on the Alaska setting. This book reminded me a bit of The Tourist Attraction series which is also a favorite.

This is definitely going to be a book of the summer. If you are a rom-com lover of all tropes looking for a book filled with tension and a moose that steals the show, grab this one IMMEDIATELY!

Thank you @atriabooks and @netgalley for the early reading copy!

4.25 stars

This morning, I finished “Any Trope But You,” and all I can say is wow.✨🫶🏻 I FLEW through this book, stayed up way too late the last two nights reading it, and loved just about every second. It’s a debut novel by @victorialavinewrites that I first heard about on the @badonpaperpodcast thanks to @beccamfreeman; she mentioned she couldn’t put it down, snd now I 100% get it. The writing is SO good — crisp, honest, sarcastic, heartfelt, funny. Everything I love in a book, really.🤩

It follows a successful romance author, Margot, whose professional reputation ends up sinking after it becomes public that she doesn’t actually believe in happily ever afters, despite writing bestselling ones. She heads to Alaska to reinvent herself and write her next book, but what do you know — romance seems to find her. (And the love interest… whew. This book is a spicy one, prepare yourself.🌶️) But, of courseeee, that doesn’t stop her from trying to push it (and him) away at all costs.

I was able to read an advance reader copy (big thank you @atriabooks and @netgalley), but it is now out in bookstores as of 4/1 so seriously, do yourself a favor and pick this up for a fun read with, of course, a happy ending. The cover is so cute — I wish I had a hard copy but alas… and I can’t believe this was the author’s first book — I need them to write another one (or 10) asap.💘 Perhaps a part 2??

A fun read. After being outed as the romance author who doesn't believe in happy ever after, her fans are angry. She needs to Alaska planning to pen a murder mystery instead, but once she meets Forrest will they also be romance? A great read.

4.5 obsessed. Margot and Forrest had the perfect meet cute and enemies (disgruntled) to lovers relationship. The way they both understood what the other was going through with a sick family member made their connection stronger

I have to say I loveddd this debut romance novel! I was drawn to the Alaska setting because I have been searching for the high of The Simple Wild. The setting of this story did not disappoint. And Forest checked all the boxes for book boyfriends. MD PhD breast cancer researcher and lumberjack??? Sign me up

I think my favorite part of this book was the authors writing. I loved that there was character in the writing. The humor and uniqueness injected into the writing kept me wanting to read more.

The tropes of this book is fitting given the title. Because this book had pretty much every trope. One bed✅ snowed in✅ enemies to lovers✅ forbidden love✅ forced proximity✅ Personally I think the author made the amount of tropes work! I read A LOT of romance books, yet this book provided me a new narrative. Something I appreciate as oftentimes I am just reading the same romance with minor differences.


Thanks to Atria books for eARC via Net Galley in exchange for honest review

I unfortunately did not get to finish before release date due to life getting busy BUT I made it my priority to finish it as soon as I could and booooooooy did I love this. When I tell you this book was a roller coaster, I mean it. It made my heart flutter but also ripped it out at some point but then gently set it back with so much care. It was cheesy in all the right places, it was real. It made me kick and giggle as a romance should and it made me feel so much! Not only was it was romance book but it was also a book of familial love. A love for a sister and a love for a father. If you have not gotten the chance to read this book yet I highly recommend it!

Thanks to NetGalley and Atria for early access in exchange for my honest opinion. Last weekend I finally put a dent into reading some early April book releases. I’ve been seeing all kinds of positive reviews for Any Trope But You, and I’m happy to report that I loved it, too! While reading the acknowledgements, the author thanks the amazing independent bookstores of Portland, Maine, including Print Bookstore which is one of my favorite places to visit whenever I make the trip up from the Boston area.
Any Trope But You starts in LA, but the majority of the story is set in Alaska. I recently booked an Alaska cruise for summer 2026 with my friends, so I loved reading about this remote setting, but in November, where it is darker and colder than it will be when we visit in August. Margot is a romance author who has a few unfortunate events occur during a zoom with her readers, and she is then cancelled by the romance community, including her publisher. Her agent thinks she can pivot to a different genre, so Margot decides to try her hand at a murder mystery. Margot's sister surprises her with a six-week trip to Alaska to help her recover and write, but even her sister has no idea how the time will go. With limited internet access, Margot focuses on her new book - and the hunk who seems to be too good to be true, mixing all of her romance novels male characters into one perfect specimen. As tropes begin to apply, Margot is able to reflect on her past - and hopefully bring some of the positives of her trip into her future when she will return to LA.
This is a debut novel that doesn't read that way at all! I like reading about author main characters, and I loved the setting. The romance had just the right about if tension. I highly recommend this book, and it is now available, so you should check it out!

Thank you NetGalley, Atria Books and Victoria Lavine for this ARC copy. I will be giving my honest review.
Easy 5 stars for this one. Victoria Lavine does not feel like a debut author; her writing flows easily. The way she writes is poetic. Lavine uses metaphors, similes, and hyperbole's to get her point across. She describes very mundane actions and feelings using metaphors, which feels refreshing. I kept re-reading parts because the sentences were written so beautifully.
The very real issues that Lavine touches upon in this novel are endearing. I adore both of these giving selfless main characters. They are both such good people while staying relatable and approachable. The humor and quirkiness of the FMC is unmatched. Don't get me started on how amazing Forrest is (the MMC). I could write my own full-length novel on how multidimensional and wonderful the MMC is.
I would recommend this book to every romance reader. Every swoony romance trope is represented including ONE TENT (which I now realize I love), and forced proximity where the MMC is the embodiment of Mcsteamy in a sauna.

3.75 stars ✨

Okay, this one was cute! I didn't know exactly what to expect from this book, but it surprised me in such a good way; it made me giggle and swoon, and it also made me resonate with the characters' lives in a way I didn't really see coming, and this is why the emotional impact was also bigger.

Margot is a romance author, and she's basically the queen of all the HEA—the characters from her books get that dreamy happy ending that everyone wishes to experience in life.
However she doesn't believe in HEAs herself. And when her little (big) secret gets out, Margot is, well, cancelled...

After this incident, Margot's sister, Savannah, sends her to Alaska for six weeks, to a Lodge in the middle of nowhere—just a perfect place for Margot to focus on her next WIP: a murder mystery.

The minute she arrives, she's hit with a "meet-cute" trope right in the face when she jumps into the arms of one handsome and strong man working at said Lodge, Forrest. And so this new adventure begins.

Forrest is living at the Lodge as he's taking care of his father after one horrible accident, and he has no plans of ever leaving Alaska or pursuing the life as he knew it before.
I don't want to give much away, but I'll say that what hit really close to home is his relationship with his dad, the sadness and desperation he feels about losing someone, and the fear of ever going through it again. I definitely didn't expect the wave of emotions welcoming me when discovering his story, but I loved it.

The relationship between Margot and Forrest is basically every popular trope out there. There's a meet cute, forced proximity, enemies-to-lovers, and they're both grumps!
For Margot, someone who writes books with said tropes and doesn't believe in HEA, being thrown in a situation where she gets to be the hero of her life living many of popular tropes is both unbelievable and ridiculous.
But these two make it work. 💙

There were a couple things I didn't personally love, though:
- some of Margot's reactions and the way she dealt with some situations made me want to shake her and yell at her and beg her to please be reasonable and smart
- the ending felt rushed. I wish we had more of Forrest and Margot, or at least an epilogue.

Overall I did enjoy this book! It's different from what I've been reading, it's funny with a decent level of depth.
Oh, and I LOOOOVE Savannah. I kind of wish she got her own book.

Any Troupe but You is about a romance author Margot who does not actually believe in HEA. Her happily never after file contains unhappy endings to all her books. It is mysteriously leaked online and she is subsequently cancelled. In an effort to rebuild her writing career she escapes to Alaska to write her new book. Unbeknownst to her she has no internet access and is truly off the grid. She meets an incredibly rugged, handsome, perfect man.. a literal troupe from one of her books. His name is Forrest. It seems every interaction she has with him is a romance troupe despite trying to keep her distance.

This book was a little hard for me to get into, Margot isn’t immediately likable. Once we get more of her story it’s easy to root for her! Forrest is straight out of a dream, the perfect romance book boyfriend. That said he is almost too perfect (hot, MD/PhD, kind, good at everything) but that is the troupe of the book. Over all this book was a light quick read that is a break from reality but not my overall favorite.

Will the ending be a troupe as well??? Check this one out on 4/1 when it comes out to find out!

Thank you to Victoria Levine, Atria Books, and NetGalley for this arc in exchange for my honest review!

Thank you NetGalley and Atria books for the opportunity to read this book!

Some of my favorite tropes are enemies to lovers and forced proximity, so when I read that this book had both, I had to read it!

My favorite part of enemies to lovers is the buildup to lovers! Reading about Margot and Forrest hit that spot for me. I love when a grumpy man lets his walls down!! There’s just something about it.

Also, I love that it was set in Alaska..reading about it is the only way I’ll be able to experience it! 😆

All in all, I loved this book

Margot is a romance author that undergoes a catastrophe that derails her career. Her sister sends her off to remote Alaska for 6 weeks to recover and focus on her comeback novel. She meets Forrest, who she quickly forms a connection with, but the road to romance is not as smooth as it seems.

This was overall an enjoyable romance. I’m a sucker for Alaskan settings, so that was fun. The banter was perfect, their families were sweet, and the spice level was off the charts! 🌶️

However, I found the romance to be a bit too unrealistic. Margot also annoyed me for reasons I can’t quite totally put my finger on. And if Forrest said “sweetheart” one more time, I think I may have thrown the book across the room!

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC in an exchange for this review!