What a debut! If this is what Victoria Lavine’s debut looks like, y’all should be ecstatic for what is to come!

Full of hilarious commentary, spice, this trope fest isn’t just a toast to the genre but also a toast to the reader. The feeling of this book felt like an acknowledgement that readers make the genre and romance readers are literally the best.

Margot and Forrest are a couple to remember. The slow bur to a quick ignite made all the beginning tom foolery worth it (though it was hilarious to watch knowing they would collide)

I loved the representation of caring for someone with a disability, it was important and poignant, something the romance genre seems to be able to do better than even the “literary fiction” (such a ridiculous genre title)

With a rowdy cast of character, this book perfectly encapsulates why Romance will forever be the genre to beat.

When they said "Any Trope," they meant ANY trope. This book included every single possible romance trope (enemies to lovers, forced proximity, grumpy sunshine, you name it), and yet it worked. SO WELL.

This book was light, and fun, and adorable. Beyond that, though, "Any Trope But You" was honest and real. I gave it 4/5 stars because there were moments where the writing felt juvenile, and the ending felt really rushed. Plus, there were a lot of very spicy scenes that felt over the top, and I ended up skipping most because that's not my thing. Overall, though, this was an enjoyable read with more introspection than I anticipated in a trope-filled rom-com. Oh, and 5/5 stars for the banter.

It was shocking to me that Any Trope but You was Victoria Lavine's debut novel! This book was excellent. Laugh out loud funny, emotional without being depressing, romantic without being toooo steamy (for the most part), and a cross between a true romance and a parody of one. This book just worked for me. I adored Margot and Forrest as main characters, and felt their connection was genuine, believable, and authentic. Their attraction was real, but so were the items that threaten to keep them apart, from their careers to their caregiving responsibilities. The tension was real, and yet, so was their love.

Aside from the main characters, I absolutely loved the sisterly relationship between Margot and Savannah. Margot cared for Savannah for many years, but after Margot was cancelled by her fans/publisher, Savannah decided to care for her sister. The trip was fantastic but the letters and the subsequent challenge she encouraged her sister to undertake was absolutely beautiful. I loved this method of learning more about Margot's backstory. It really caused me to love her even more!

I had a hard time putting this book down. The Alaskan setting was so fun, and makes me want to go there soon! I will note that this is definitely an open door romance but I was able to scan though the parts I didn't want to read, so don't let that put you off. This is a sweet book with a surprising amount of depth! I am excited to read more by Victoria Lavine!

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

Thank you to NetGalley for the early read! This was such a charming book. While I found some parts at the beginning a bit too cheesy and slow to get through, the story truly picked up once Margot met Forrest. Their chemistry was fantastic, and I especially loved how their backstories—both as caretakers for their families—added depth to their connection. Overall, a sweet and heartfelt read.

The title of this book could not be any more fitting!! All the romance tropes smashed into one novel. This was a cozy, fun, and quick read about finding love in unexpected places, even when you have lost romantic hope.

Some books make you feel like you’re reading a story, and others make you feel like you’re reading someone’s story—messy, self-aware, and unfolding in real time. Any Trope But You captures that feeling perfectly. It has the charm and charisma of reading the thoughts of someone who knows she’s both writing a book and living one at the same time.

The two main characters are incredibly relatable, not just because of their struggles but because of how real they feel. Their quirks, fears, and growth throughout the story make them more than just characters on a page—they feel like people you might actually know. Their dynamic is engaging, their banter is sharp, and their journey together is just as compelling as their individual ones.

If you love stories that feel personal and filled with characters who are wonderfully flawed yet easy to root for, this book is a must-read. This book is an easy read that will leave you with a little more hope in all the beautiful tropes we love to read and root for. It’s a reminder that sometimes, the best stories are the ones that embrace their own narrative, tropes and all.

After romance writer Margot’s readers discover she doesn’t actually believe in happily ever afters, her sister sends her to Alaska to write and also to detach from the social media frenzy. Her trip turns out to be far more remote than she realized, isolated from most people and wifi. She also meets Dr. Forrest Wakefield, the owner’s son who put his career on hold to tend to his father’s medical needs. He’s too perfect, meeting too many stereotypical love interest tropes.

Honestly, this was pretty cute. They both had a lot in common, especially since they prioritized family. They did fall in love a little quickly, but were mature enough that I didn’t mind too much.

4.5 stars and oh my godddd was this SO CUTE and SO STEAMY. I see your only one bed and your only one horse and raise you to only one tent!!! I can't get over how fun it was to have all the tropes thrown in (and I do mean just about all), acknowledged and eye-rolled, and then moved past so quickly. This truly felt like a love letter to the romance genre in the form of a romance writer to her fans, and I can't thank her enough.

Margot and Forrest, my sweet selfless bbs, are fully realized characters with their own complete inner worlds, have the best type of banter around, and feel like a couple that would survive well past the Hapiply Ever After (unlike Margot's characters). We had a fun mix of side characters that got just enough for us to catch their flavor, but not enough to steal focus...except maybe Bullwinkle the moose.

Thank you so much to Victoria Lavine, Atria Books, and NetGalley for a chance to read this in exchange for an honest review.

as the title suggests, this is a self-aware romance book, with the fmc being a disillusioned romance writer who finds herself living out a real-life romance. there are many tropes but all well done, and with some meta language as the fmc has to deal with it all.

This book was such an incredible nod to the romance genre and I was hooked right away! Margot is a romance author who doesn’t believe in true love. A scandal leads her to take a trip to a remote resort in Alaska in order to reset and try writing in another genre. She did not expect to meet Dr. Forrest Wakefield, who accidentally seems to check off every trope she loves to write.

I really loved both Margot and Forrest. They were relatable and realistic, and I found myself connecting to both of them. I was especially moved at their mutual experience of caring for a loved one with chronic illness. Their connection was undeniable from the beginning, despite both of them trying their hardest to resist. I completely sympathized with their motivations for avoiding a relationship, but I was rooting hard for them to change their minds the whole time.

The story was made complete by the side characters. Forrest’s father and the other guests at the resort each played such an important part in Margot’s development, but her sister, Savannah, was my favorite. Savannah wrote letters for Forrest to deliver to Margot at specified intervals during her six-week stay. I loved this method of explaining the past (rather than flashbacks or dual timeline), and the letters brought out so many emotions as Margot got to read her sister’s POV of their past for the first time. I loved every minute of this book, and I highly recommend it for anyone who loves the romance genre!

Thank you to Victoria Lavine, Atria, and NetGalley for the gifted e-ARC; all opinions are my own.

Read if you like:
💕 Creative ways to explore romance tropes
💕 Author FMC x doctor MMC
💕 Remote Alaskan setting
💕 Hilarious meet-cutes
💕 Saunas 😉🔥
💕 Forced proximity, enemies to lovers, and so many more tropes!

I ADORED this book. It was funny and sweet. I loved the use of tropes. I think it worked really well for our cynical heroine. It had really good side characters and that just can make or break a romance book. I enjoyed this one very much!

Thank you NetGalley and Atria books for a copy of this e-arc in exchange for my honest opinion. Publishes one week from today.

Margot might be a top selling romance author, but she doesn't believe in the happily ever afters that she pens. In order to express her true feelings, she has a document she keeps to herself called Happily Never After, where she writes more realistic endings to her romance novels. All's going fine and well, until someone hacks her computer and releases her Happily Never After document live on a podcast. Now cancelled and with no where else to turn, her sister sends her to a remote Alaskan retreat to getaway and find inspiration. And inspiration does she find all right, in the form of every perfect, handsome MMC she's ever written come to life. Maybe he can make her believe in happily ever afters once again.

This was such an excellent debut novel! It's laugh out loud funny at parts. Both of the main characters are mature which is so refreshing. While I'm not usually a fan of second act break-ups, this one makes perfect sense and isn't forced at all, so don't let that deter you. The characters are lovable and there's a moose named Bullwinkle who drives the main characters together initially. I really enjoyed this and can't wait to read more by Victoria Lavine!

This was so super cute! I really enjoyed the main characters and the setting of the Alaskan wilderness lodge. I liked the growth the characters went through and especially how they communicated. Like always, I wish there was an epilogue!

I loved this book! It was the perfect little romance about a girl who gave up on Happily Ever After just to be basically punched in the face with the epitome of a Happily Ever After. And a guy who takes his family and all of their hardships on his shoulders and thinks there’s no way someone could make him want to do anything differently. All set in the Alaskan wilderness with “bears”, chimney flues, hot tubs and lots of ill advised excursions.

I loved Margot from page 1 and her indecisiveness of what shirt to wear because of the “hidden” meanings behind each of them. Same, girl. Her story and all that she went through to get her to the point of not believing in the HEAs that she wrote about was heartbreaking. All I wanted was her to find someone to show her how wrong she was. *Insert Forrest here*

Forrest and his need to help his family to the detriment of his own career and wants was everything Margot needed. Without even trying, or so he thought, he showed Margot what she deserved and what an HEA could mean for her. His battle to put himself first, even with his family pushing him to do just that, was so well written. I could feel how hard that was for him through the pages.

I loved this and you definitely need to read it!

Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC!

To start, this is a solid debut. Victoria Lavine's voice is unique, funny, and clear, and that shines in Any Trope but You. However, as the title implies, this book has a LOT of tropes in it and I think this was ultimately to the detriment of the story, and made it so that I felt secondhand embarrassment at times throughout the narration, pretty much all the way to the end LOL.

Margot and Forrest's story was funny but not captivating, and I didn't really get into the passion between them until the more spicy scenes—which were surprisingly graphic (in a good way) for a book that is written so sweetly—so the overall romance fell a bit flat for me to be honest. However, I think if you're someone who loves meta romance novels, where a character is writing a book, you might find this completely charming and will love your time with it!

I look forward to reading more from Lavine!

3.5 ⭐️s
2 🌶️

Loved this book so much! The characters, the plot, all of it. I got second hand embarrassment and it was so funny. What a great debut!

Thank you for the opportunity to read this arc!

This was a beautifully written debut novel, and I’m so excited to see what comes next from Victoria Lavine!

I loved the concept of Margot being a romance author who secretly writes alternate, unhappy endings for her books—divorces, breakups, everything she doesn’t put in the final versions. When her secret document is leaked, she escapes to Alaska to reinvent herself and write a murder mystery—but instead, she finds herself in a rom-com of her own.

The plot was adorable and so much fun. Watching Margot go from not believing in HEAs to getting her own was everything.

And Forrest? Absolutely perfect for her. I rooted so hard for them, and the ending was perfect!

A cute cozy winter romance perfect for those days you don’t want to leave your warm bed. I loved the setting, the story, and the characters.

Thank you so much to Atria Books and Netgalley for an ARC of this book!
I absolutely loved this book but I did knock off one star because while it’s a SLOW burn, the ending felt rushed. There was so much build up (which was amazing) and I loved how many tropes were put into this book and didn’t make it feel crammed in. This is definitely a heart-warming rom-com read BUT it also has a lot of honest aspects to it and is realistic in the sense that it shows how messy love can be and how there are no rules on how people fall in/out of love and how not every single story will have an HEA in the traditional sense. Overall I enjoyed this book and look forward to other titles Victoria Lavine releases in the future!!

This was such a perfect palate cleanser for me! I had been reading some good, but heavy books. This was a wonderfully meta story about a romance author who knows she’s experiencing a romance akin to her stories. The only reason there’s not a 5⭐️ review here is because it was insanely predictable, not one thing I didn’t see coming. But it was a wonderful and easy read! I also loved the relationship with the sisters. There was more to be desired between Forrest and his dad but that could be because we got his perspective a bit less.