Margot is a successful romance author. One of her books was even made into a rom-com! But while doing a publicity event, she is exposed for writing Happily Never Afters, what might happen to her characters in the real world. To make things even worse, this document contains her thoughts about her readers and that is a problem. Ashamed, she runs off to Alaska. Forrest is at his father's resort helping out after his father had an accident. The doctor turned innkeeper is attracted to but annoyed by Margot. Can she write a mystery novel to keep her head afloat? Can they resist each other?

I have to say that having any document that bashes your readers backed up to the Cloud is a bad idea. But that premise seems a bit flimsy. Otherwise, this is a fun read for those of us who do believe that HEA exists.

Thank you to Net Galley and Atria Books for the DRC. All opinions are my own and are based on my own HEA.

✍🏼 Any Trope but You by Victoria Lavine
Releases TOMORROW (April 1)
⭐ 4.5/5 🌶️ 3/5

Margot Bradley, a romance author who secretly writes cynical alternate endings for her characters, faces public backlash when her "Happily Never After" document is leaked. With her career and livelihood on the line, she agrees to write a murder mystery in a remote Alaskan resort, hoping to revive her career to still support her ill sister, Savannah. At the resort, Margot crosses paths with Forrest Wakefield, a former cancer researcher now running the family business while caring for his sick father. Despite their initial reluctance, the two grow closer as they navigate a series of romantic tropes. However, Forrest is afraid of getting close to someone he could lose, especially knowing Margot's departure is inevitable. As they confront their fears and assumptions, they must decide whether to risk their hearts or end up as another "Happily Never After" story.

This debut novel is incredibly charming! Victoria's writing made it so easy for this reader to fall in love with Margot and Forrest. I love how Margot openly acknowledges the romance tropes she shares with Forrest, but it's done subtly enough not to overshadow the plot or their relationship. Their shared experience as primary caregivers of their chronically ill family members allow them to empathize with each other on a profound level, understanding each other's needs, motivations, and concerns in a way that is uniquely their own.

🫎 Dual POV
🫎 Meet-cute
🫎 Enemies-to-lovers
🫎 Forced Proximity
🫎 Slow burn
🫎 One tent

Thank you, Atria books, for my gifted eARC of Any Trope but You in exchange for an honest review!

#anytropebutyou #victorialavine #atriabooks #netgalley #bookreview #bookreviewer #bookstagram

Margot Bradley is a very popular romance author who really doesn't believe in happy ever after. She has a file of Never Happy After where she has written unhappy outcomes for her book's character. When this file is hacked from her computer and spread all over the Internet, Margot flees to a lodge in Alaska to heal and start writing on a non-romance book.

It's there that she meets Forrest, the lodge owner's son. Basically, every romance trope that she writes about occur with her and Forrest, starting with their initial meet cute. There are so many tropes that it should be eye-rolling, but Margot acknowledges that they are happening that it makes it funny.

I really enjoyed this book and am surprised that it is a debut author!

Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for an advanced readers copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I really loved this book. It was a fun take on all of the classic romance tropes, while still focusing on some more serious issues that Margot and Forrest were facing. Each trope was written into Margot and Forrest's story without feeling forced.

I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
A romance author who doesn't believe in happily ever after's and a swoon worthy book boyfriend with a heart of gold. I absolutely ate this book up! the depth of Margot's love for her sister and the lengths she would go to hide her own unhappiness to keep writing stories she did not believe in just to make sure she was taken care of was heartwarming. Sweet, dumb Forrest and his need to take everything on his shoulders and push away love....it was everything and not too much lol This book had ALL the tropes and it was fantastic. I highly recommend this to anyone looking for an emotional read!

This rom-com contains every romance trope known to man (and maybe a few more), which adds to both the romance and the comedy aspects of the book…and the cheesiness of course, in the best way possible! While it’s a lighthearted book in a lot of ways, it also contains depth as both the female and male main characters face challenges related to family, struggles from the past, and making hard choices. There was a perfect balance of emotions weaved throughout. Congrats to the author on her debut novel!

Thank you Net Galley and publishers for the advanced copy!

Thank you, Atria Books and NetGalley, for the advanced copy of Any Trope but You.

Five stars? Really? Hear me out! Think of your favorite romance tropes, and I'm pretty sure they're in here. Sounds like it would be messy and rushed and just meh, right? Wrong! Any Trope but You gave me the silly smiles. You know what the silly smiles are: when you read something just so cute and adorable that you can't help but to show off your pearly whites. This is the perfect novel for a quick, light-hearted read that will have you swooning.

Margot is a best-selling romance author. She loves the flexible schedule she can keep which gives her the time and the money to take care of her chronically-ill sister. While she no longer believes in HEAs, she keeps a document titled Happily Never After on her computer where she writes alternate endings to her novels. During an online interview, her Happily Never After file gets exposed to fans and media. She finds herself being canceled by her beloved readers and dropped by her publisher. Finding the need to pivot, she decides to try her hands at a good old-fashioned murder book. When her sister books Margot for a vacation in the perfect setting for her new novel, Margot finds more than just the wilderness at the remote Alaskan resort. Enter Dr. Forest Wakefield, cancer researcher extraordinaire now taking care of his ailing father. If any of the tropes I've mentioned so far don't get you, I have two words for you: one bed. Well, bed... sleeping bag... what's the difference?

This was the self-aware romantic comedy that I needed to entertain me over the past couple of days.

The book throws so many rom com tropes out, it could be romance salad but it comes together as a load of fast moving fun. It's probably not going to win any awards or be anyone's absolute favorite but it was entertaining and a fluffy good time.

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for providing an Advanced Reader's Copy of this book published on 1 April 2025

Cringey dialogue, I had to DNF this one. It felt like the author used a thesaurus on this and I didnt love that at all.

🥺😍♾️

Thank you so much to Atria Books for the eARC of Any Trope but You! These are my honest thoughts.

Y'ALL. THIS IS A DEBUT. AND I LOVED IT SO MUCH. This book is about a romance author who doesn't believe in love anymore, and she falls from grace when her beloved readers find out about her for never always list of ways that her characters fall apart after the HEA. Her brilliant, chronically ill sister Savannah devises this plan to send Margot on a retreat to write her next great romance novel. In Alaska.

Margot is a sunshine California girl, and the minute she steps foot in Alaska, she realizes she's a long way from home.... down to the second she realizes she never imagined snow being slippery, and right before a moose scares the crap out of her. Lucky for Margot, there's a hunk of a man chopping wood, and when she leaps into his arms to escape the wild animal? Tropes know, it's all down hill from there.

Margot is like a fish out of water in the cold wilderness of Alaska, stuck with a forest of a man... appropriately named Forrest. These two collide in EVERY trope imaginable, but they both resist so hard. The cast of characters at the lodge with them makes this story so fun. And then add in the fact that the only way for Margot to hear from Savannah is via mailed letters (because there's no wifi) and MARGOT HAS TO EARN HER LETTERS BY GOING ON OUTDOOR ADVENTURES?

Some of my favorite tropes in this one include:
- he helps her when she's injured (and carries her down a mountain)
- only one tent (because someone might've forgotten to pack theirs)
- a "just for now" situationship
- GROVELING
- he's jealous

More than all the fun, adventurous, humorous things that happen, this story has so much heart. Forrest is THE BOOK BOYFRIEND, and Margot is aware of it, yet they both have held on tightly to their anti-romance stances because of the things and people they've lost in their lives. Margot's super protective of her sick sister, and Forrest's dad requires quite a lot of help with his health at the moment. They build this strong foundation of trust around losing people and the fragility of the people who they love the most in their lives. They want to be the most reliable, dependable people to those who they love, at the expense of their own happiness. And they figure it out... together. And their chemistry is everything. It literally jumps off the page. Their connection builds a home in their hearts, and it acknowledges that they are scared but they make choices anyways.

I predict everyone will love this one when it hits shelves April 1st. I know I did! So go grab yourself a coffee and a copy, and come chat with me when you're done, okay?

This was a fun read with likeable characters. It had a good balance of drama, humour and romance.

I received an ARC and am voluntarily leaving an honest review.

If you're a fan of romance novels packed with nearly every beloved trope—executed in the most delightful way - then this book is an absolute must read.

A huge thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for the early copy in exchange for my honest thoughts!

Margot doesn’t believe in happily ever afters, yet she somehow finds herself at a remote lodge in Alaska for six weeks - only to end up in the arms (literally) of a man who feels like he’s stepped straight out of a romance novel. He’s frustratingly perfect, and she loathes it. I, on the other hand, adored every moment of this story. The writing is sharp, the humor effortless, and the banter? Absolutely top-tier. I devoured this in one sitting and would have happily read 700 more pages.

If you love witty, trope-filled romances with heart, make sure this one is on your TBR. It releases on April 1st—preorder now!

Read if you love:
📖 Grumpy and Grumpier
📖 Remote Alaska settings
📖 Romance author x doctor
📖 Only One Tent
📖 Disability representation
📖 A meddling (but lovable) family
📖 An iconic moose
📖 Just the right amount of spice

3.5 Stars
1.5 Chili Peppers

Tropes:
Enemies to Lovers
Grumpy/Sunshine
Forced Proximity
Slow Burn

Dual POV

"Did she perish from lack of Wi-Fi? See a squirrel and faint?

As soon as I saw this cover, I knew I had to read this book. It was good, and I will admit, it made me laugh out loud more than a few times.

Margot was likeable, but I wish she had more of a personality. She always went from swearing off love to wanting to be with Forrest at the flip of a switch.

Forrest was the typical closed-off, grumpy MMC. He went into his career after his mom passed. He was good at what he did, but then wanted to throw it all away? I know he wanted to help his dad, and his guilt from his mom was still there, but still. Come on, Forrest.

Honestly, my favorite character was Savannah. She was sassy, funny, and had so much love to give. I also liked Jo and Trapper. But I wanted more Moose. Seeing there was a moose on the cover, I thought he'd play a bigger part, but I guess not.

Thank you to Victoria Lavine, Atria Books, and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Victoria Lavine’s Any Trope But You is an absolute delight- a romance that is as funny as it is heartfelt. The story follows a cynical romance author forced into an outdoor adventure resort in Alaska, in winter, that is wildly outside her comfort zone. What starts as a reluctant escape quickly turns into something unexpected when she meets a man who seems to embody every swoon-worthy romance trope in existence.

Their dynamic crackles with witty banter, undeniable chemistry, and just the right amount of tension as they go from reluctant acquaintances to something much more. The setting is immersive, the secondary characters add so much heart, and the humor had me laughing out loud more times than I could count. But what really makes this book shine is the emotional depth—both main characters are caretakers in their own way, and watching them truly see each other was beautiful.

If you love forced proximity, grumpy vs. sunshine energy, caretaking moments, and a hero who checks every romance box, this book is for you. I highlighted so many lines, and I already want to read it again! Highly recommend.

I think Victoria Lavine may be one of my new faves! I enjoyed this sooo much!

I wasn't sure what to expect going into this but I was truly hooked from the first chapter. I laughed out loud. I loved the tension between Margot and Forrest. And mostly, I loved the growth they both accomplished throughout the book. This was such a fun read and Victoria Lavine is definitely going to be an author I keep up with!

Ha! This was so great! I love books about books & Any Trope But You was IT! I loved how the author brought alllll the romance tropes into this book.
I loved Margot and Forrest, Everyone at the inn & I always enjoy found family. This book was great.

Thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for the eARC.

These cute patooties had me kicking my feet! I loved this one and I felt like the take of the jaded female romance author was so well done. Loved it.

Rating: 4/5 stars

I adore Forrest and Margo. From the moment Margo screeches and leaps into his arms to save herself from a moose, I was all in on this book.

This book didn't feel particularly slow burn to me, they get together fairly quickly, same with the enemies to lovers trope; the switch happens quickly. Their chemistry is great, and while it does seem mostly physically driven at first, I think their respective former romantic experiences, career troubles, and family health-related struggles help these characters to forge a deeper bond and care for one another that is evident in how the author crafts their story.

The dedication in Margo's book is a beautiful display of the maturity of this couple and their personal growth: that she recognizes the beauty of what she and Forrest had together and the value it added to her life, even if she believes at that point that their story is over. I found this to be a fresh and unique way for an author to convey the depth and maturity of the love between two characters.

One aspect of the book that felt sort of misplaced, or just missed the mark for me, was the sort of foreboding atmosphere around the letters from her sister, Savannah. Perhaps this was me fearing the worst, but throughout the entire book I felt like we were headed toward her sister revealing she was dying or something seriously catastrophic. This was, happily, not the case. But it sapped away some of my enjoyment as I read the book.

Overall a great book and I look forward to more from Victoria Lavine.

ARC provided by publisher via NetGalley in exchange for honest review.

ɴᴇᴛɢᴀʟʟᴇʏ ʀᴇᴠɪᴇᴡ || ANY TROPE BUT YOU [thank you to Atria and @netgalley for my #gifted copy!]

Title: Any Trope But You
Author: Victoria Lavine
Genre: Romance
Format: Digital
Star Rating: ★★★★☆

ꜱᴜᴍᴍᴀʀʏ:
After her secret stash of unhappy romance endings is leaked, bestselling author Margot Bradley is canceled by her readers and dropped by her publisher. To save her career—and support her chronically ill sister—she pivots to writing murder mysteries and retreats to a remote Alaskan resort.

But instead of crime scenes, she finds herself falling for the grumpy, gorgeous innkeeper, Dr. Forrest Wakefield, who left his dream job to care for his ailing father. As long, snowy nights and unlikely tropes draw them closer, they’ll have to decide if their story ends in heartbreak—or something more.

ᴍʏ ᴛʜᴏᴜɢʜᴛꜱ:
After reading a couple of friends reviews for this book, I bumped it up by TBR and I’m not disappointed that I did! This was such a fun story of a woman losing her way, thinking she found her answer, and then realizing that she was completely wrong.

Now, this book somewhat breaks the fourth wall over and over. But since the FMC is a romance writer, and a jaded one at that, it makes sense that she would be sensitive to the tropes popping up in her own life (and just how the man she meets in the Alaskan wilderness is basically too good to be true and must be written by a woman). It was honestly kind of fun to have the FMC have the same reaction to some of the ridiculous situations as you did as the reader.

The romance here is great - but honestly, I think the best part was the focus on family and how much you’re willing to give up for them. Both MCs in this book are forced to uproot their life in some way to take care of an ailing family member - and I think it’s such a beautiful look into that side of love.

ʀᴇᴀᴅ ɪꜰ ʏᴏᴜ ʟɪᴋᴇ:
Lots of Tropes
Wintery Settings
Adventure Romance
He’s Too Good to be True
Grumpy x Sunshine

ᴅᴇᴛᴀɪʟꜱ:
GR: 4.24 ⭐️
# of Pages: 336
Pub Date: April 1, 2024

This was such a fun book!! I know once it’s published I will be seeing it everywhere. Can’t wait to share with my fellow readers.