🥺😍♾️

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.

I love a forced proximity/enemies to lovers/one “tent/sleeping bag” & this delivered!

Dual POV helped a lot & I loved the fact that as she’s living her very own “meet cute” she’s asking the universe WHY?! Which I absolutely loved!

My only complaint is the stereotypical Alaska references- even making their names fairly cheesy.

I will definitely be recommending this cute romance!

Happy Eve of publication, @victorialavinewrites and a special thank you to @netgalley and @atriabooks for the opportunity to read this one early! Without further fanfare (which will continue throughout), my review:

It’s hard to believe that “Any Trope But You” is Victoria Lavine’s debut novel, but it is and there’s no doubt in my mind that I’ll devour whatever she writes next, just as I did the story of Margot and Forrest.

Margot is a romance writer who doesn’t believe in the HEAs she writes about in her books and, when she’s outed and subsequently canceled by her community, she begrudgingly goes to Alaska to reinvent herself at the insistence of her sister, Savannah, who, though a minor character, absolutely makes the whole place shimmer (IYKYK).

From the moment she arrives at North Star Lodge, she’s drawn to Dr. Forrest Wakefield (aka Dr. MD) who has his own reasons for being back in Alaska and who is not that dissimilar to Margot. From there, the universe seemingly transpires to push them together by utilizing just about every romance trope under the sun and I was ABSOLUTELY SMITTEN.

“Any Trope But You” is much more than a romance novel. It’s a story of hope and reinvention, one that speaks to hope not just being a passive feeling but an active choice. It speaks, too, though much more subtly, of how cycles of codependency can stifle personal growth, particularly in relationships between caregiver and the person for whom they care.

If you love a romance novel with an abundance of heart, then you shouldn’t pass this one up! If you, like Margot, find yourself questioning the reality of the quintessential HEA, then this one may just give you hope to keep on believing!

#books #bookstagram #bookrecs #booksbooksbooks #bookreviews #arcreview #netgalley #newreleases #bookgirly #HEA #atriabooks

Margot Bradley does NOT believe in HEA, even though she has become a tremendously popular romance author with every HEA imaginable in her books. After the discovery of her 𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘪𝘭𝘺 𝘯𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘢𝘧𝘵𝘦𝘳 files goes public during a podcast, her sister sends her off to Alaska for 6 weeks to continue her ‘research’ on her next book. Where she happens to have an unexpected meet cute with the man of her bookish dreams, Forrest. 🫎

“𝐈 𝐝𝐨𝐧’𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐤 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞’𝐬 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐛𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐚 𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐥𝐞 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐡𝐚𝐬𝐧’𝐭 𝐛𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐝 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐦𝐞𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐤𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞... 𝐄𝐯𝐞𝐧 𝐢𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐭𝐨𝐠𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐛𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐟.”

Their story is full of lighthearted tropes that are so unbelievable and yet both hold a deeper connection through family and caregiving. Figuring out how to put themselves first when self-care and love is also therapeutic and so important as a caregiver.

“𝐈 𝐚𝐦 𝐚 𝑺𝒄𝒊𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒊𝒇𝒊𝒄 𝑨𝒎𝒆𝒓𝒊𝒄𝒂𝒏 𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐝 𝐨𝐟 𝐠𝐮𝐲,” 𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐦𝐬 𝐛𝐞𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐬𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐞 𝐟𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐬 𝐬𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐥𝐲. “𝐁𝐮𝐭 𝐈 𝐠𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐈’𝐦 𝐚 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐠𝐨𝐭 𝐁𝐫𝐚𝐝𝐥𝐞𝐲 𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐝 𝐨𝐟 𝐠𝐮𝐲 𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐨𝐨.”

Of course Forrest is literally the perfect man and while there were moments I was screaming “giirrrlll…” to Margot, they have a sweet & steamy connection and care deeply for the ones they love.

I also adored Savannah, Trapper & Jo!! ★ ★ ★ ★

Margot Bradley is a jaded bestselling romance author who doesn’t believe in the happy-ever-after endings she writes. When someone leaks her very private writings with alternate not-so-happy-endings for the fictional relationships her devoted fans adore, she is quickly canceled by the romance community and dropped by her publisher. Her sister’s solution is to send Margot to a desolate Alaskan resort to escape and work on her next book which is most definitely not a romance.

Well, best laid plans and all … Margot finds herself face-to-face with Forrest, the living, breathing epitome of every romance trope you can imagine. It’s her literal nightmare, until it’s not. Even Margot finds it impossible to resist the Henley wearing, forearm exposing, brilliant, sensitive, brooding, cinnamon roll man in flannel.

The complication? Both Margot and Forrest believe romance needs to take a backseat to caring for their medically challenged family members. The author does a phenomenal job depicting the challenges here and I love how supportive the characters are of each other’s sense of obligation.

I loved this book. The author looks at all kinds of love; not just romantic and it pulled at my heartstrings. It’s a terrific debut from Victoria Lavine and I’m excited to see what she writes next.

Thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for the advance copy. All opinions are my own.

Thank you NetGalley and Atria for the ARC!

Margot is a best-selling romance author who doesn't believe in Happily Ever Afters. She knows that's what her readers want and makes sure to provide that in her books. But in private, she has a Happily Never After document with realistic unhappy endings for her characters and all her deepest anti-love thoughts. When her HNA doc gets leaked to the public, her career and life implode. Margot decides it's time to change gears and write a murder mystery set in Alaska. Her sister, Savannah, surprises Margot and sends her to a remote Alaskan lodge for 6 weeks in order to help inspire her new book and get her life back in order.

Immediately upon arrival, Margot is thrown into the arms (literally) of Dr. Forrest Wakefield. He is here helping out his ailing father, and has zero interest in getting involved with a guest. Especially when he can't handle losing someone again, and Margot definitely has an expiration date.

Forrest and Margot somehow end up experiencing romance tropes that would make Margot's readers swoon. The more time they spend together, the more difficult it is to deny what's happening between them. Can they each overcome their fears before Margot's time is up, or will they end up in a Happily Never After of their own?

***

I absolutely loved this book! I loved the concept of this cynical romance writer being thrown into all these romance book tropes. It was so much fun! Not to mention the love I have for Forrest and Margo. I mean, Victoria Lavine basically said here are two enneagram 2s who never put themselves first... let's see if we can make them fall in love and realize it's okay to have something for yourself. (Not to mention that Forrest is perfect book boyfriend material!)

What a debut for Vitoria Lavine! I can't wait to see what other stories she has to share!

I'm so excited to finally post my review for this! I loved reading Margot's journey. Sisters are magical! I hope this becomes a series, because I would love to hear more about these characters and unique setting.

The Advanced Review Copy (ARC) was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Any Trope But You 🫎❄️🪵
5⭐️
3🌶️

Thank you so much to Atria for the free advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

This book is an absolutely stunning debut novel! I was hooked from the very first page, and I absolutely loved the plot and character progression.

Margot was a super real and relatable character, and so was Forrest. I have also been in a position where I gave up everything to take care of family in need, so this really hit close to home with both characters for me.

I LOVED the setting of this book. As a Florida girlie I was afraid that Alaska wouldn’t work in my head, but it was perfect and it makes me want to visit! (Even though I know I couldn’t handle it LOL)

This book contains SO many of my favorite tropes and Lavine worked to put a new spin on them… only one tent???? Sign me UPPP.

Overall I really loved this book and I can’t wait to see what Lavine writes next!

Any Trope But You is one of the most enjoyable romances I have read in ages!

Margot is a romance writer who is secretly jaded by the concept of love & HEA. When a hacker finds & shares her Happily Never After file, which gives her popular books bleaker endings, Margot’s fans turn on her. Margot is left feeling lost & worried about her future as a writer & how to earn money to care for her ailing sister. With an idea to shift away from romance & turn to crime fiction, Margot’s sister Savannah sends her on a 6 week trip to a remote lodge in Alaska. Savannah believes the time there will not only protect Margot from the backlash, but also give her some new perspective & challenge her to grow. Upon arriving Margot immediately meets Forrest, the insanely handsome son of the lodge’s owner. Forrest is a prestigious doctor & breast cancer researcher, but is staying at the lodge to care for his father who is newly wheelchair bound. While the two & attracted to each other, they try to keep their distance for their own reasons, but there isn’t much to keep them apart when they’re in the middle of the woods in Alaska. As the two get to know each other & attempt to resist their connection, Margot identifies & calls out every trope as it is experienced in what is possibly the funniest part of the book. The most charming & touching part, however, are the weekly letters Margot reads from her sister. These are the best part of the story.

I always love when a debut blows me away, & that’s exactly what happened here. Romcoms have a tried & true formula & you generally know what you’re going to get. Any Trope But You checks every box for this genre, but brings a little extra magic along as well.

☑️meet-cute
☑️grumpy/dreamy loner
☑️doesn’t believe in romance
☑️forced proximity
☑️caretakers
☑️limited time together
☑️past hurts

Annnnd then some! This book was so funny, so delightful, so steamy, & made me fall in love with multiple characters, human & animal. Any Trope But You is out tomorrow!

Any Trope But You by Victoria Lavine was such a fun romance! This beauty releases on 4/1, and no joke, it’s going to be poppppppular! 🤩

Here we have Margot, a bestselling romance author, who flees to Alaska to reinvent herself and write a murder mystery when her Happy Never After file, a top-secret doc of the realistic alternate endings of her HEA stories, gets leaked. In Alaska she finds herself thrown into the arms of the rugged owner of the resort she’s at, and finds herself dropped into every romance trope possible. 🏔️😍1️⃣ 🛏️

This is such a gift to any romance readers. From the dedication being “on the other side of the stories we share, you’re my matching bookend,” to all of the tropes being hilariously done, to the highs and lows of the publishing world, this was just a true gem. 💎

Lavine’s writing style reminded me of the one and only Annabel Monaghan’s, and I don’t dish that compliment out lightly!! Lavine, like Monaghan, writes the most mundane things and makes it so funny. Example: “I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that this is the only kind of real love. Everything else is cubic zirconia.” “I’m more jaded about love than a former Bachelorette star, mid-divorce.” “Is wood chipping an Olympic sport? If not, it should be. I’ve never felt more patriotic in my life.” “Holding a drill in the world’s most blatant display of competency porn.” “Okay, sorry, I’m done. Glacial Heat! Okay, now I’m done.” “They look cute but feel like a medical bill waiting to happen.”

Ok for the sake of me not direct quoting this entire book here, just take my word on it. No jokes!

Thank you to NetGalley, Victoria Lavine, and Atria Books for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review. Releases tomorrow, April 1!