Romance author Margot is on a live podcast when her happily never after file is hacked and given out to the live stream. It’s her hidden away secret folder, where her happily ever after couples end up divorced, angry and unhappy. She loses her fan base and her publisher and her life is really in the dumps, but after being burned by men so many times, she doesn’t always believe in happily ever after, even if she writes them. Her sister sends her to remote Alaska to be away and find herself. Through weekly wilderness adventures and rewards of a letter from home, Margot begins to find herself, but she has also found Forrest, the lodge owners son, the walking romance novel hero, and the two of them fall into trope after trope after trope. Can happily ever afters be real?

I really enjoyed Margot. She was likeable, while also being real with her flaws and feelings. I found I could relate to her and feel along with her. The story was lovely, I laughed, I welled up, and I enjoyed most of the steps along the way. Lovely debut.

Thanks to Net Galley and Atria for the advanced copy

I loved the premise of this book—romance writer “cancelled” because she’s outed as someone who doesn’t believe in love and escapes to Alaska to try writing a new genre only to be confronted with every romance trope in the book. I will admit that I was a little worried that the author wouldn’t be able to pull it off, that it would be too cliche. But this book was funny, witty, and had a ton of heart, not just the relationship between Margot and Forest but between each of the main characters and their family. They were both grappling with very real and relatable reasons for what’s keeping them apart. However, the third act felt rushed, which made their HEA feel a little less earned for me.

Any Trope But You by Victoria Lavine

Rating: 4.5/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
Spice: 2/5 🌶️🌶️

Thank you to Atria Books, Netgalley, and the author for access to this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Any Trope But You was absolutely wonderful and has everything you could ever want in a romcom! Such a delightfully heartfelt, sweet, humorous, and spicy read. I loved everything about this debut novel!

Margot is a bestselling romance author, but after her happily never after file, a document in which she rewrote all her books to remove the happy endings, leaks, she is in shock and struggling. Her younger sister books her a trip to a wilderness resort in Alaska to help her rebrand. There, she meets Forrest. He is her ideal type and meets all the romance hero requirements. Forrest, who left his job as a cancer researcher, works at the resort to take care of his disabled father. He absolutely does not want to get involved with a guest. As time goes on and Margot and Forrest experience a myriad of tropes, they begin to wonder if their growing attraction is worth pursuing despite all of the risks.

Overall, this was an all-around amazing book! From the emotional depth, to the humor, to the romance, Any Trope But You perfectly encapsulates what makes romance reads so special and fun. The chemistry between the MCs, the setting, as well as the supporting characters all work to make this so great. The pacing was perfect, the writing style was so good, and the ending was wonderfully written! Highly recommend this one to all contemporary romance readers!

Tropes:
- Enemies to lovers
- Forced proximity
- Romance author FMC
- Doctor MMC
- Snowed in

This book had me from the first page. The romance was swoony and beautiful, the backstories were rich and soulful. The different types of families and family dynamics were represented without judgment, and the ongoing theme of sacrificing to care for family members was so sad and gorgeous. I laughed, I cried, and I might now be in love with this MMC.

4.5 stars

ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book was such a cute refreshing romance. Margot being your typical set in her ways FMC meets Forest who looks like every fictional man she’s ever wrote come to life. Their banter and chemistry was balanced just right for this plot.
I adored that even though there was probably every popular trope come to life in their story that it wasn’t cheesy.
Definitely recommend to anyone that is looking for a nice clean romance with a dash of spice 😉

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an arc in exchange for my honest review.

This was an adorable book! I can't believe that this was Victoria Lavine's first novel...she is a fantastic writer. If you love romance books by Abby Jimenez or Emily Henry, I can guarantee you will just adore this book!

Additionally, if you enjoy audiobooks, the audiobook version of this book is set to be narrated by Tim Paige and Jesse Vilinsky! I can't wait to listen to it!!

This is exactly what I want in a romance!!! The pining??? The angst??? The off the charts chemistry??? YES!!!! Any Trope but You was borderline perfect and I have exactly zero notes. I love Margot and Forrest to pieces. I’m absolutely floored this is the author’s debut, it’s that good. I don’t think I’ll stop thinking about this book for a while - in the best possible way. Also…those intimate scenes? *chef’s kiss* I think the development of Margot and Forrest as characters was so well done. They both had layers and a realness to them that brought them to life. I wish I could read this again for the first time because it was such a great experience. If you haven’t preordered this yet…what are you waiting for????

Thank you to NetGalley, Atria Books, and the author for sending me an early copy!

This one was really cute! I loved that the male main character was the definition of all of the female main characters tropes she writes in her books. A really cute premise and a great debut novel! The characters were charming and there was just enough spice. I can’t wait to read whatever Victoria Levine has up her sleeve next.

margot bradley escapes to remote alaska as a means to reinvent herself after a hacker exposed her for not believing in the happily ever afters she writes. forrest wakefield is a walking, talking trope - everything about him screams too good to be true, but is he or is that just a front?

someone needs to buy the rights to turn this into a movie right now so i can add it to my list of comfort watches. this book was INCREDIBLE. the banter, the spice, the heavier topics that forced the characters to grow - a masterpiece.

margot’s character was hilarious - her inner monologues & ramblings had me absolutely cackling. i loved that she called attention to all of the blatantly obvious tropes, comparing them to books she’d written in the past. forrest was quite literally the perfect mmc, i have absolutely no notes on him, i only wish i got more of his POV.

i loved how both characters had the purest understanding for each other - like they were quite literally made for each other. there were moments where the lightheartedness of calling out the absurdity of their situation almost eased the difficult topics in the book without overshadowing them. it’s hard to explain but i finished the book feeling lighter, despite having bawled my eyes out one chapter earlier.

i am absolutely in awe with this book - i would have never suspected this was a debut but i can say with confidence that i cannot wait for the next one.

This book had me giggling and smiling throughout the whole book! It was so much fun reading it! This book is about a best-selling author, Margot who doesn’t believe in true love anymore after a heartbreak and led her to write a secret file of “happily never after”. This file was leaked to her dedicated readers and she received so many backlash. Her sister, Savannah who has a chronic autoimmune disorder sends her away to a remote resort at Alaska hoping she will heal and find herself. She meets the hot resort owner and doctor, Dr. Forrest Wakefield who is there to help his ailing father. They experience many romance tropes that you can think of and fall deeply in love with one another. What I enjoyed the most about this book is that the author threw in many common romance tropes and twisted them which made it super entertaining and funny. I also love the sisterly bond between Margo and Savannah and the family bond of Forrest and his father. Their unconditional love for their family was an important aspect of the story. Given that both Margot and Forrest are caregivers for their family members, they both relate to each other that no one can understand. Both characters put their family first before their own happiness. Their journey involved learning that it’s okay to love one another and have their own happily ever after while still being there for their loved ones.

It’s amazing this is a debut novel! It exceeds so many of my expectations! It had strong character development and many deep emotional themes - caregiving, personal sacrifices, and family relationships. With the many adventures that Margo and Forrest experienced, I am ready to book a getaway to the Alaskan wilderness!

Thank you to NetGalley, Atria Books & Victoria Lavine for the chance to read this book in exchange for my honest review.

Like meets like in this incredibly well written debut. I mean- I love a good "opposites complement each other" romance as much as the next person- but this showed the beauty of meeting your heart's match. The empathy, the understanding- even at the cost of losing it all. Sigh.

And the entertainment value in this book for romance readers is top notch! Tropes on tropes on tropes in the most ironic ways possible!

I think this book will easily be in a top ranking for me for 2025.

I enjoyed the humorous way this romance explored the tropes of the genre. The only quibble I have is with Margot's behavior at the beginning of her wilderness challenges, when she does things like trying to make a fire without opening the flue rather than accepting the host's help, or deciding not to pack items from the list of camping essentials that's been given her. I mean, I get that she's a fish out of water, but come on! It irritates me when the FMC just behaves like an idiot. However, in the later part of the story I started to like her much better. The writer explores the trauma that both main characters endured and how it affects their relationship in a way that is touching and not too heavy or too glib. The supporting characters add substance to the story, themes of self-sacrifice, resilience, and finding courage to fail and try again shine through the narrative, and the romance unfolds believably, for the most part. All in all, an enjoyable, well-paced read.

This is about a romance writer who doesn’t believe in love anymore after her own heartbreak leads to her “happily never afters” doc being leaked on a livestream to all of her fans. This doc contains alternative endings for all of her romance books—which are awful (like the MMC getting a beer belly or having erectile dysfunction) 😱. So, her sister, who has a chronic autoimmune disease that she cares for, pushes her to go to a remote resort in Alaska to find herself and heal. This is dual POV, a nod to all romance books because, as the title states, the tropes are EVERYWHERE, and I really enjoyed how she sprinkled so many throughout in such a thoughtful and witty way. I also loved the focus on caring for family members who are chronically ill because the MMC is doing the same thing 🥹.

Overall, this was a weird plot that didn’t make sense half the time BUT I loved the romance, the spice, the banter, and the tenderness of it all. Also, sweetheart does it for me—I know a lot of people hate that pet name, but I always eat romance books up when a rugged, strong man calls his woman “sweetheart” 🥵. This started off kinda insta-lovey, but by 38% I was absolutely hooked. Oh, and there’s a pet moose named Bullwinkle 🤣. This was a lot of fun, and at times very emotionally charged (ok, I cried a little bit) and even though it didn’t always work for me, I absolutely loved it.

Thank you NetGalley & Atria for this ARC! 🫶🏻

While in a zoom interview, a romance novelist’s secret document entitled “Happily Never Afters” is leaked to a legion of her most ardent fans, effectively canceling her in real time.

And so Margot is sent packing to Alaska for six weeks by her younger sister, Savannah, for a hard reset. She grudgingly agrees.

For someone who doesn’t believe in love after having had her heart broken multiple times, Margot ends up in a meet cute involving a flannel wearing, lumberjack looking, bearded mountain man, and a moose named Bullwinkle.

But nary a bother. She’ll just deny the attraction. Deny, deny, deny. And while she’s at it, she’ll switch genres and write a murder mystery while in exile. Reinvention is thy name.

Except Forrest, the one from the meet cute, has been sent to destroy her. He’s is every single trope she ever written only more genuinely, more loyally, more kindly than even her most popular heroes written on paper.

Forrest is hurting, too. He’s managing the resort for his father who had suffered a life altering illness. To do this, he’s given up his career as a doctor in California and he can’t imagine ever feeling like he can leave his father and go back. Even if he wants to.

But Margot and Forrest can’t deny the attraction and as snowy nights and unrelenting tropes bring them together over and over. Will they find their own happily ever after?

I liked this one but didn’t love it. I wasn’t a huge fan of Margot but I did appreciate her relationship with her sister which was sweet and felt true. Forrest was written as the perfect romantic hero, but dare I say, almost too perfect?

There were two parts I loved. Both Margot and Forrest are caregivers and have an innate understanding and appreciation for the other. The selflessness they show is lovely. And, when Margot finds out something disturbing about Forrest, he asks if he can give his side of the story…and she lets him. Believes him. Avoids the breakup. So tender and real.

I think Unromance did the tropes thing better, and I’m sorry but nobody wants to go ice camping.

A lot of y’all loved this, so take my review with a grain of salt.

✨I absolutely adored this book. If Hallmark and every trope invented had a baby, you would have this book.

✨We follow Margot, a romance author who is jaded by love, deal with the consequences of a devastating interview that has her sister sending her to a remote inn in Alaska. Resolved to reinvent herself she tries to write in a new direction, but when she meets Forrest, her heart decides it has other plans.

✨Forrest, a man who wears many hats, is happy leaving his life in LA to care for his father and help run the inn in Alaska. Destiny has another plan and drops a beautiful stranger into his arms and everything he knows goes out the window.

✨The banter is witty, the spice is spicing. Victoria does a great job weaving each trope within the story. I absolutely enjoyed the light moments along with the heavier ones. This debut is not one to miss!

🩷 I really loved the dedication; it touches on breast cancer warriors. As a breast cancer survivor, it made me feel 🥹.

✨Thank you, @Net Gallery, @ and Atria books, for the E-ARC.

This book was so much fun! The story had me hooked, gasping and cackling from the very first chapter, and it just kept getting better! I loved how this was a celebration of romance novels, from the self-aware inclusion of countless tropes to the physical manifestation of the perfect male lead, to the maim character's journey to believing in happily ever afters again. There were so many adorable and swoon a worthy scenes, and both main characters had so much depth and vulnerability, I felt like I was really able to connect with them in each of their chapters. This was one of my favorites this year, and I can't wait to see what else this author writes!

I was so excited by the title and premise of this book. I love romance novels, and I leave no crumbs when a romance novel puts a spotlight on the romance genre and our community. So safe to say, I was certain I would love this book…. but unfortunately, I just didn’t.

The premise has so much potential, and there were moments that I loved - the letters from her sister being one and the humor being another). That said, my biggest issue with this book is the sheer lack of finesse. There was no subtlety in how the tropes were written/discussed within the book. Trust that your readers know and love these tropes just as well as you do and that they all don’t need to be spelled out in black and white to be noticed.

Additionally, the main characters’ personalities were too similar to be realistic or convincing. They had the same sense of humor. They had both given up on love. They even the exact same family health dynamics impacting their lives. The lack of variety in character background and development left me unconnected and detached.

I do think this author shows a lot of promise, and I may pick up another novel of hers in the future, once she has more experience.

Imagine all your favorite romance tropes playing out in one funny, lighthearted story…I thoroughly enjoyed this debut! Margo, a romance author, struggling after a recent marketing snafu, travels to Alaska to refocus and write a story in a new genre. Forrest, the rugged resort proprietor, seems to do anything to convince her she’s living in a real-life rom-com. The scenarios these two get into, the banter, the steam…it’s all there with all best romance tropes and all interwoven into a story that made me laugh and smile and swoon. I had the pleasure to attend a zoom with the author-she’s as sweet as the story she wrote, and am so excited to follow her journey with her future books. Shout-out for the cover…it drew me right in with its own little story and cuteness! 4.45 stars

I really wanted to love this one because it sounded really interesting but overall I thought this was ok.

There were some cute moments between Margot and Forrest, but I didn’t feel connected to their characters. I wasn’t as invested in them getting together and felt there wasn’t any chemistry between them.

Margot’s relationship with her sister was really sweet. I liked how supportive they are and the love/care they have for one another. I did enjoy the setting I think it was fun and made me want to book a trip somewhere.


Thank you Atria and Netgalley for the arc.

Witty, heartwarming, and full of charm! Margot flees to Alaska to escape romance but finds a grumpy, swoon-worthy resort owner/doctor, Forrest. Between moose encounters and crackling chemistry, this book delivers forced proximity, humor, and just the right touch of emotional depth. A must-read for rom-com lovers and an incredible debut! Victoria has a hilarious and utterly relatable voice. I'll be keeping an eye out for her next book!