REVIEW: Any Trope But You by Victoria Lavine

Any Trope But You is a funny, cute, and spicy adventure book. We have Margot, a romance author who doesn't believe in happy endings after being burned too many times herself. Her happily ever after document is leaked to her fans, and she is cancelled. Margot's sister decides to send her to a remote place in Alaska for six weeks to find herself again.

Any Trope But You is written as a love letter to romance book readers. The story has so many tropes that even Margot thinks it's ridiculous. Some tropes featured include the following: Enemies to lovers, Forced proximity, One tent/sleeping bag, Slow burn, and Author + Doctor. Forrest and Margot have strong chemistry together. Beginning with humorous and charming banter to beginning touches, they just really clicked together. Multiple spicy scenes showed how strong their connection was.

Besides the romance elements of Any Trope But You, there were some significant, deep, and emotional elements. There was a lot of focus on being a caregiver for a family member who isn't healthy. This book doesn't shy away from the negatives and tolls of being a caregiver for someone you love. I especially liked how the book showed that you cannot be utterly selfless without burning yourself out. You also need to take care of yourself.

The only thing I wish was different was that the ending felt very rushed. I wanted a bit more buildup to that point and a little more afterward. Even a short epilogue would have satisfied my need to see where the characters were at that point.

Overall, I really enjoyed Any Trope But You. It was funny, sweet, spicy, emotional, and a great nod to romance fans. I cannot wait to see what else Victoria Lavine releases next.

Thank you, Atria Books and Netgalley, for the free advanced copy for my honest review!

**Thank you to Atria Books and Netgalley for the ARC. All opinions expressed in this review are my own and given freely**


It is hard to express how much I enjoyed this book because I went in thinking it would be one thing for it only to be another.

This book is about a down on her luck romance writer who gets shipped off to Alaska to reinvent herself essentially.
This book is self aware of the Romance tropes and I love the way they are thrown in through the book.

The banter in this book was so fun and even though you kinda had an inclination on how things would go… I still could not put it down. This book had an ability to be fictionalized yet holy relatable as well. I’m in between four and five stars for this read. Maybe this was just the perfect book to read at this time but it’s been awhile since I’ve read a book that’s lighthearted fun and the characters aren’t insufferable to me. It was low stakes but the idea of these things in real life I could see happening.

I also appreciated the use of Taylor swift in this book. A lot of books I read that reference her, it tends to be over the top or cringey.

WOW! One of the best romances I have read in a while and with a fun Alaskan setting. If you enjoy Emily Henry banter you’ll enjoy this!

Margot, a romance novelist gone wrong, needed to get away and somehow found herself in the midst of all of the good romance tropes - super hot and nice guy who is secretly a doctor, forced proximity, only one tent, just one time, snowed in, etc. It was cliched, but definitely in the leaning-into-it-on-purpose way. Forrest was the man of the hour and boy howdy was he written just right. These two went through a variety of antics, while still getting some character growth, and of course they got their HEA. Overall, this book was a lighthearted, easy read.

Thank you to the publisher for the eARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

This book should have been super corny, but I loved it. Not many books make me try, but this one did at the end. Margot is a romance author that doesn't believe in romance because she has been hurt too many times. Her computer is hacked and her "Happily Never After" endings are released to her entire fan base. Margot's sister Savannah plans a 6 week Alaska trip for Margot to write to next novel and to escape from reality. In truth she wants Margot to heal from all her past hurts. Immediately upon getting to the North Star Lodge bring on romance book trope after romance book trope. I liked that they made a joke about all the situations that occur that are the typical romance tropes.

I really enjoyed this book as will any reader than loves rom-coms.

*Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for an eARC!*

3.5. This was cute! I liked the plot and the setting, though I will say the double-whammy Social Issues™️ sub-plot was a lot lol. This is a debut, so I will definitely watch for other books by this author.

Swoon - this one ticks ALL the boxes for fans of romcoms! It’s also the perfect read for those who want to keep their heart “safe, but not too safe” 😉 IYKYK

I couldn’t believe it when I read this is the author’s debut novel.

Elements I LOVED:
adventure,
courage,
overcoming obstacles,
caring for family members,
chemistry between characters,
charming and humorous banter,
and of course - spice!

This is available now so you must immediately grab your copy!

Thank you NetGalley, Victoria Lavine, and Atria books for the opportunity to read this in exchange for a review!

I. Loved. This. Book!!!!!! She’s a romance author that doesn’t believe in happily ever after. Her career comes to an abrupt pause, and she ends up at an off-grid lodge in Alaska where she meets a man that fits the bill for every single one of the romance tropes she’s written about. This book is like a love letter to the romance readers, bookstagram community and to anyone who needs an extra dose of hope in their life. The relationship between Margot and her sister had me crying multiple times, and also Forrest’s relationship with his dad. I am blown away that this is a debut novel and so thrilled I was able to read an early copy!

This is the story of a romance author who has lost faith in love, a woman who had built her life around taking care of her sister before herself. Until one major invasion of privacy throws her entire world into chaos. Said sister is how she ends up at a remote mountain resort, determined to reinvent her brand, with no Wi-Fi, and in the company of our handsome, intelligent male lead.

Margot quite literally runs into Forrest's arms after mistaking a moose for a bear, and the chemistry and attraction only build from there. They fell for each other, bit by bit. The more they learned of each other the more they saw their similarities and how well they fit together.

It was a cute, albeit predictable, read.

Thank you atria and netgalley for the arc!

I really enjoyed the concept of this book. The author writing vibes of our main character Margot and the bearded male counterpart from random cabin area. We see these two form a relationship built on trust entering the picture. It did get a bit slow for me after the first third or I just didn’t connect with it as much as I did the beginning parts but still had a great time.

Margot is hardworking and willing to do her best work to get ahead again after she fell from her fans graces. She wants their love and wants to adventure on her own too. After her sister makes her leave we see the notes that she gets from her detailing the love that these two sisters have and I really liked that dynamic. The notes and email platform was really fun too.

Forrest we see also cares about his family. He loves hard and wants people to see the same but he has also been hurt and needs to learn to trust. He keeps to Savannah’s promise but also pushes Margot to be her best too. They fit really well together and seeing their relationship bloom gave butterflies.

3.5/5⭐️

4/5 Stars for Victoria Lavine's debut novel!

Big thanks to Atria books and NetGalley for providing me with this e-Arc in exchange for my honest opinion.

Now I know I'm a little late for reviewing since this was released on April 1st, but I'm here now hehe.

What can I say? I really enjoyed Margot and Forrest's story. Margot, who is a bestselling romance author, accidentally gets her secret file of "happily NEVER afters" released to the public. After facing backlash from her fans and the book community, Margot decides to pivot from writing romance to murder/thrillers instead. All the while, her sister, Savannah, ends up booking her a 6 week long reprieve at a resort in Alaska. Despite Margot's efforts to take a break from the romance scene, she unexpectedly finds herself smack dab in the middle of her own developing romance with Dr. Forrest Wakefield. All thanks to a moose who literally has her running and jumping into this man's arms (what a meet-cute! lol).

Margot and Forrest's story is chock full of all the tropes we know and love:
-Enemies to lovers
-Forced proximity
-One tent/sleeping bag (OMG!!)
-Slow burn
-Author + Doctor

Things I loved in this book:
Caregiver strain representation - being that I'm a nurse myself, I could easily spot the caregiver strain on both Margot's end with taking care of Savannah, and Forrest's end taking care of his dad. It felt like both MCs were cut from the same cloth this way. They had an understanding of the endless love and sacrifice they had for their respective loved ones.

The banter was so cute! I literally had LOL moments, and moments where I was kicking my feet cuz they were being adorable!

The character development for Margot in regards to her relationship with her sister. I thought it was so sweet that Savannah put this whole trip together for Margot, while she's trying to find and redefine herself. The weekly letters really showed how much they cared about each other. And I loved that Savannah encouraged Margot to do things out of her comfort zone.

The only thing I didn't really appreciate in this book was the rushed ending. They had issues that were left unresolved in Alaska, and then all of a sudden Forrest shows up and they reconcile right on the spot. Then, THE END. In this case, I wish there was at least an epilogue to follow up on their story and make it feel more well rounded.

Although this story is set in a cold weather environment, it definitely has moments where things heat up. Definitely worth a read!

I absolutely LOVED the beginning of this book. I was laughing out loud so hard at that zoom meeting in the beginning. Margot sounded different from every other fmc. BuUut then we landed in Alaska and the tropes were laid on thick. I was truly hoping she wouldn't automatically turn into a damsel in distress. I thought she would do something interesting or something hilarious like how she was at the beginning but no.

One thing I did not like one bit is Margot heard about a situation with Forrest and a previous guest and automatically believed the random female influencer over a man who she can literally ask. The whole "believe all women" mentality is so damaging to men in general. That truly rubbed me the wrong way.

Shout out to Trapper and Savannah who I felt carried this book. Margot and Savannah's sisterhood bond was so well written I loved reading their sections. Trapper is a MVP for sure, his and Forrest's father/son relationship was so heartwarming.

I had such a fun time with this one! A romance writer FMC who finds herself feeling like she’s in one of her books. It has an almost break-the-fourth wall amount of tropes. Our FMC, Margot, fully acknowledges and even makes fun of them. Jaded and not looking for love, she meets Forrest Wakefield. Forrest is back in Alaska to take care of his dad and is almost too good to be true. It was fun to see these two bicker and get to know one another. They try to deny their chemistry, but we know how that goes. Victoria made me root for them to get everything they wanted- including each other. I loved the side characters, especially Savannah and Trapper. I enjoyed this debut and look forward to reading future books!

Thank you to Atria for my early read. All opinions are my own.

I’m all for some far-fetched romance plots, but I feel like the author should have done more research. Domesticated moose? Also December in Alaska with inadequate clothing and mentions of sunlight? Don’t even get me started on the insurance liability that is this lodge. But more than anything, I felt like the story remained very surface level.

This is a pretty bog standard romance novel, which isn't a bad thing and I think it is very aware of that with the emphasis on the many tropes throughout. As a grumpy/sunshine and enemies to lovers afficionado this wasn't my favourite, the conflict felt very forced and nitpicky, which is just annoying when the characters are over 30. There is also insta-love which I hate in almost every instance I see it, I'll admit to being a certified hater but also what do you mean you love them you've known them for, like, 3 weeks and have barely talked about anything of substance.
I really liked the different portrayals of disability in the book and the love and dedication it takes to be someone's carer is very real. I also loved spending some time in Alaska, it's a fun location for a romance book.
I didn't really buy the romance, but for some people this hits hard and I can see why, it just didn't hit as hard for me.

Any Trope But You is a funny debut romance with a strong emphasis on familial love in addition to romantic love. There were a lot of fun romance trope shenanigans and the book felt like a love letter to the romance genre at large. Lots of fun banter in this book!

While I primarily enjoyed this book, I struggled with the aspects surrounding the main character’s family members with disabilities. I LOVED that the book ended with the main characters learning that they have to respect the autonomy of their loved ones and not make taking care of them their whole lives, but as a disabled person, reading this book was hard at times. Reading about their disabilities from the perspective of the main characters (especially Margot) was difficult because they were really removing the autonomy from their loved ones. I really appreciated the ending, but it still feels like the main characters’ journeys/development were exclusively tied to learning that disabled people can have autonomy, which I have mixed feelings about.

Even with that, I did enjoy this book and I think that I might pick up future books by this author!

Any Trope But You:⁣ ❄️🫎💔
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Thank you @simon.audio and @atriabooks for my gifted copies! ⁣
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Let me get down to it: there’s a third act breakup. I’ll kick and scream about it, because I didn’t want it. It was redeemed with the grand gesture, but again, whyyyyyy.⁣
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Now that’s out of the way, this was so fun! Romance author gets cancelled for not believing in HEAs and proceeds to meet a walking MMC from our dreams. ⁣
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Jesse Vilinsky is such a favorite and I loved listening to her on audio. Tim Paige did a great job on the dual POV. I loved the audio and highly recommend.⁣
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I felt like it was a mini love letter to the romance readers of Bookstagram and I am thankful for it.⁣
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Out now!

Will review later...On my way to Alaska!!!

What a fresh take on a rom-com. Blatantly pointing out and making good fun of how these characters fit into these tropes that we all have read time and time again. But man, it worked. I loved this book. I laughed. I cried. I decided I would never hack it on these excursions. This book was probably my favorite rom-com I've read this year!

Thank you to Net Galley, Atria Books, and Victoria Lavine for an ARC of this book!

3.5/5...so I was super excited to read this book. It started out great. The FMC is a best selling romance author that gets outed about her not so subtle feelings about romance. Her sister sends her to Alaska for 6 weeks where she meets Mr. Grumpy Forrest. I love a good enemies to lovers trope but I felt like the author went to fast into them liking each other. I love enemies to lovers so so much but they stopped being enemies at like 25%-30% into the book. It would have been sooooo much better had this gone on for at least half of the book. The angst that happens with enemies to lovers is what keeps people engaged. All in all, I would give it 3/5 out of five stars. It was still a cute read. Thank you NetGalley and Atria books for the advanced reader copy.

After her professional life as a romance author implodes when her for-her-eyes-only antithetical "Happily Never After” file gets leaked, Margot goes to Alaska in search of genre-shifting inspiration and instead finds kinship and every romance trope imaginable with a hot mountain man hero. This book had such a fun premise and I enjoyed how it played out. The humor was so good, and I look forward to reading more from this new author!

Thank you to Atria Books for gifting me with an ARC to review. All opinions are my own.