Honestly, this one was so cute. It is FILLED with tropes, clearly a nod to the title and circumstances or her being a romance author who is tired of romance. The spin on all of the classic tropes was so funny and done in such a fun way. It made me laugh out loud multiple times!

Margot is clearly a character who has to grow on you. She reminded me a bit of Calla in The Simple Wild. They are both city girls who are used to the luxury of wifi access and not having a wild moose standing a few feet from them. Margot starts out a little prissy and standoff-ish towards Forrest, who everyone else seems to love. I loved seeing her growth in this book. Not only do we see her open up to Forrest, but we see so much growth through the adventures she goes on (and the letters from her sister put me in my FEELS).

And Forrest was so yummy too! I loved his dedication to his family and how much growth we see from him as well. He is a cancer researching doctor who is home trying to help his father keep his resort alive. He is grumpy and has the biggest heart, and seeing him open up about his past and family was so sweet. I loved the two of them together and how they helped each other open up and be vulnerable.

Overall just a sweet and funny contemporary romance, set in BEAUTIFUL Alaska! I can’t wait to read more from Victoria in the future!

Thank you Atria for the copy!

With the cozy Alaskan setting, enemies-to-lovers romance, and tropes galore, what's not love! This was such a fun romance with every trope you can think of-- but in the absolute best way. A solid debut! I look forward to reading more from Victoria Lavine in the future.

4⭐️ | 3🌶️

Any Trope But You is a witty, trope-filled romcom that had me grinning from page one! Margot Bradley is a best-selling romance author with a not-so-romantic secret: she doesn’t believe in happily-ever-afters. When her private collection of cynical alternate endings leaks, she finds herself canceled and creatively blocked. Cue a sister-planned escape to a remote Alaskan lodge!

Enter Forrest Wakefield: lodge owner, medically overqualified, and inexplicably hot. He saves Margot from a moose (yes, really), and then proceeds to do the unthinkable—read all her books and actually like them. Naturally, they’re forced to share a tent. And a sauna. And feelings

This book is what happens when you throw every iconic romance trope into a blender, sprinkle in some self-deprecating humor, and set it all against a postcard-perfect Alaskan backdrop. Margot is sarcastic, jaded, and sharp as hell. Forrest is steady, green-flag energy in human form. Together? Absolute chaos—and I loved every second of it.

Bonus points for sisterly love, excellent banter, and a moose with impeccable comedic timing. The spice? Open-door and sauna-steamy. The vibe? Cozy, unhinged, and weirdly comforting.

If you like romance novels that lovingly roast romance novels, this one’s your next obsession. Just pack your emotional baggage—it’s coming with you!

Quick, cozy, and happy. This book was exactly what I needed while laid up in bed with a cold. The meet-cute, the banter, the steam, and everything in between was just spot on. It was light, but managed to touch on some darker topics and still be laugh-out-loud hilarious.

I loved both of our main characters. They’re both so selfless and willing to give all of themselves to care for their family members; it’s truly astounding to see such strong familial bonds at play.

Usually, I’m not a fan of the romance author main character trope because it can be too in-your-face and cheesy - it’s literally the only reason I couldn’t give Story of My Life by Lucy Score five stars last week - but Victoria Lavine balanced it all perfectly. It was cheesy at times, but also wildly endearing.

Overall, I am extremely impressed that this is a debut novel; I can’t wait to see what else Victoria Lavine comes up with.

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗹𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝗳𝗼𝗿𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝘁𝗼:
❤️Selfless and unassuming FMC
❄️Build-a-bear perfect for her MMC
❤️Sexy lumberjack X doctor MMC
❄️Supportive/Caregiver roles
❤️Caring for her while injured
❄️Reading each other’s work
❤️Cuddling for warmth
❄️Forced Proximity

Thank you the author, NetGalley and Atria Books for a copy of this E-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

- romance author & doctor
- remote Alaska setting
- enemies to lovers
- forced proximity (one tent & snowed in!)
- 🌶️🌶️/5
- dual pov
- dual narration by Jesse Vilinsky and Tim Paige

POV: you're a romance author who falls out of love with love, so you write a secret document where your characters don't get HEAs. You don't expect someone to hack into your computer and share the document, causing you to fall from grace. When your sister pushes you to take a six-week vacation in remote Alaska, you agree... finding love in the most unexpected place.

This was a rom-com with heart, blending funny banter and tender moments perfectly. I love how the FMC pokes fun at all the trope-y situations she finds herself in. From starting as enemies to being carried down the mountain by her grumpy host to sharing one tent and getting snowed in, it's witty rather than cringeworthy.

The heart and depth come from Margot's weekly letters from her chronically ill sister, whom she cares for back in LA. Forrest is in a similar situation, putting his own LA life on hold to care for his father. They understand the other's caretaking nature, even if it ultimately breaks them apart. But the ending is perfect and very full circle!

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this book so much that I bought a copy so I could read it again!

This was cute! I enjoyed the concept and the relationship between Margot and her sister, as well as Forrest and his father.

However, I wasn’t completely sold on the chemistry between the two main characters and felt the story dragged at some parts. Also the ending felt a bit rushed/wrapped up too quickly.

Thank you Atria for the ARC!

I absolutely loved this book. It was just so much fun. The writing and humor were fantastic. The characters were very well developed with great backstories! I loved the spice! The emotion hit me right in the feels. The conflict was the perfect amount to keep me reading from start to finish.

Who doesn’t like a romance novel set in Alaska with a burly Alaskan hero? The romance novel writing heroine has been many times done before, but I felt like this was a fresh new take. There wasn’t anything I didn’t love about this story. I can’t wait to read more upcoming books by this author.

My copy of Any Trope But You was provided by NetGalley and Atria Books for review purposes. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This was absolutely a romance book written by a romance reader for other romance readers! It was so fun how different tropes were used throughout the book.

It was such a fun concept and a joy to read! My only complaint is it did use a time jump which I never enjoy, but I understand why it was used! Overall a fun read that felt like a cozy hug from a mountain man!

The epitome of ALL Hallmark move tropes in one book. It will have the warm fuzzy of a Hallmark movie with the wit and banter you expect of a well written Rom Com! For a debut novel its a 10/10! Thank you to Netgalley, Victoria and the best team at Atria books for the eARC! Sorry my review is a little late!

What To Expect:
⭐ Almost every trope in the romcom world finds its way in this book!
⭐ High level of wit!
⭐ Enemies to lovers
⭐ Forced Proximity
⭐ One Tent/One Bed
⭐ A city girl to the middle of no where Alaska
⭐ Romance writer tries to find herself after blowing up her life
⭐ SLOW BURN!

My Thoughts:
Oh the sauna scene....

I don't know how Victoria managed to fit all the tropes in but she did! The way she did fit them in is witty and such a slow burn! You will find yourself laughing so hard and at the same time wondering how in the heck Margot (Main Character) manages to make it out of Alaska alive. One thing I will say is the end does feel so rushed. I wished we had more of it and a bit slower. Especially because the story as a whole is such a sow burn! There were moments I loved Margot finding herself and rebuilding her self esteem, while there were other moments I really didn't love. She seemed too insecure for someone her age and at that point in your career.

All that to say I really loved it. I loved the twists, turns and the MOOSE!!!!


Synopsis:
Beloved romance author Margot Bradley has a dark secret: she doesn’t believe in Happily Ever Afters. Not for herself, not for her readers, and not even for her characters, for whom she secretly writes alternate endings that swap weddings and babies for divorce papers and the occasional slashed tire. When her Happily Never After document is hacked and released to the public, she finds herself canceled by her readers and dropped by her publisher.

Desperate to find a way to continue supporting her chronically ill sister, Savannah, Margot decides to trade meet-cutes for murder. The fictional kind. Probably. But when Savannah books Margot a six-week stay in a remote Alaskan resort to pen her first murder mystery, Margot finds herself running from a moose and leaping into the arms of the handsome proprietor, making her fear she’s just landed in a romance novel instead.

The last thing Dr. Forrest Wakefield ever expected was to leave his dream job as a cancer researcher to become a glorified bellhop. What he’s really doing at his family’s resort is caring for his stubborn, ailing father, and his puzzle-loving mind is slowly freezing over—until Margot shows up. But Forrest doesn’t have any room in his life for another person he could lose, especially one with a checkout date.

As long snowy nights and one unlikely trope after another draw Margot and Forrest together, they’ll each have to learn to overcome their fears and set their aside assumptions before Margot leaves—or risk becoming a Happily Never After story themselves.

Victoria Lavine’s Any Trope but You is a smart, emotionally resonant romantic comedy that playfully subverts genre conventions while delivering all the cozy, satisfying moments fans of romance crave. At its heart is Margot Bradley, a successful romance author whose dirty little secret isn’t an affair or a scandal—it’s that she doesn’t believe in Happily Ever Afters. Not for her characters, not for her readers, and definitely not for herself. After her bitter, alternate story endings are leaked, Margot’s career implodes, and with her chronically ill sister depending on her, she’s forced to reinvent herself as a murder mystery writer. That journey takes her from public disgrace to a snow-covered Alaskan resort where she plans to write her first whodunit—but instead finds herself dodging moose, facing her own cynicism, and crashing headlong into the kind of slow-burn love story she’d long since stopped believing in.

Lavine masterfully balances humor, heartbreak, and chemistry, offering a narrative full of wit, warmth, and tropes lovingly turned on their heads. Margot is delightfully complex—acerbic, guarded, and secretly vulnerable—and her banter with the brooding, brainy Dr. Forrest Wakefield is electric. Forrest, grappling with his own grief and guilt as he cares for his ailing father, makes an unexpectedly swoony counterpart. The pacing is just right, alternating between laugh-out-loud moments and poignant introspection as both protagonists are forced to confront their emotional baggage. The snowy Alaskan setting adds a charming isolation that heightens the tension and intimacy. Readers who love Beach Read by Emily Henry or The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood will find Any Trope but You a standout addition to the genre. It’s a rom-com for cynics, romantics, and anyone who’s ever loved a good trope—even if they swore they never would.

Thank you Atria Books and NetGalley for an ARC of this book.

This fun RomCom has loads of fun; tropes galore, depth of character, strong and meaningful family bonds, and growth and opening of hearts. I always love a good romance about romance writers. Margot is a gem and so is Forrest, it was a pleasure to watch them fall prey to their chemistry and to find their HEA while staying true to their caretaker hearts.

A fun Rom com where she is shipped off by her sister to a retreat to finish her book... in the middle of nowhere. There are letters from her sister every week, and she's forced to go on special adventures in the Alaska wilderness, with Forrest, the guy who practically jumped out a romance novel.

It was cute, spicy 🌶️ 🌶️🌶️, but I am not going to remember it. It was nothing special, but it was a fun read.

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for this ARC publication for an honest review.

This was such a fun, sweet book! Such a selfless, well-matched couple...

Margot is a beloved romance writer...until the moment she is "canceled" due to someone releasing a hidden file where her true feelings on love are discovered! Savannah (the younger sister with a chronic condition who Margot is a caregiver to) sends her away to Alaska to gain perspective and write a murder mystery.

Forrest the grumpy male lead has all the leading romance hero qualities. Throw in an Alaskan wilderness setting and so many tropes...much to the distress of Margot!

While this is definitely a romance, the family relationships and connections were so well done! Savannah making Margot step out of her comfort zone through her letters was one of my favorite parts of the book. Forrest and his devotion to his father (and Jo) was so lovely.

I fully enjoyed this book...except...excessive spicey scenes and too much bad language. How many times does the "F-word" need to be said? It did nothing to enhance the storyline when the sweetness and fun tropes carried the book for me.

Thank you, NetGalley and Atria Books, for this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

I was so excited about the premise of Any Trope but You, and it didn’t disappoint in delivering humor, banter, and plenty of romance tropes. Victoria Lavine’s writing is sharp, witty, and thoroughly enjoyable to read.

I did have a little trouble getting behind Margot’s hot-and-cold behavior when she first arrives in Alaska. We know going into the story that she doesn’t actually believe in the happily-ever-afters she’s famous for writing, and as we learn more about her past, it’s clear why she’s a bit jaded about life (and men). It makes sense that she would throw up some emotional walls when she finds herself in a real-life meet-cute with a handsome leading man, but I was a little thrown by how that sometimes manifested as rudeness toward Forrest, lol!

I appreciated that Margot was self-aware, though. As much as I struggled with some of her early behavior, it did feel true to her character and it was nice to see her slowly open up and begin to trust again.

I liked Forrest's character for the most part, but he had his moments too. I wish there was more depth to his initial attraction to Margot, and I didn’t love how he treated her when things got stressful for him with his dad. It was authentic to the emotions at play, but it still felt a bit harsh.

All that aside, there’s a lot to love about this book! I laughed out loud a ton, the relationship between Margot and her sister, Savannah, was so sweet, and Forrest’s dad was an absolute gem—especially his matchmaking shenanigans with Jo. Honestly, I think the supporting characters stole the show.

If you’re a fan of romance tropes, witty writing, and even wittier banter, I’d say it’s definitely worth a read.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice: 🌶️.5

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for allowing me to ARC read this cute little contemporary romance in return for an honest review.

Blurb
Margot Bradley is a romance author who doesn’t believe in happily ever after. She creates a “Happily Never After” list that gets leaked to her fans during a podcast and she gets canceled. She is dropped by her publisher and her fans turn her away. So, in hopes of reviving her spirit, her sister sends her to Alaska for 6 weeks. While there she plans to continue writing, but not in the romance genre. She wants to write a murder mystery. Turns out, her murder mystery turns into a romance murder mystery. While there she meets Forrest, who is grumpy and gruff and tries with all of his might to stay away from Margot because she’s a guest. However, the attraction is too strong ❤️ and one thing leads to another. Does Margot get her happily ever after or is it a happily never after?

Review
So, this book was super cute. I found myself giggling quite a bit. I loved the idea of throwing every single romance trope that they would think of into a romance story and that the FMC was aware of the tropes/microtropes due to her profession: forced proximity, rolled up sleeves, gray sweatpants, one tent, one bed, enemies to lovers, tall and muscular, doctor, and slow burn.

I enjoyed Margot and her chaotic energy. I liked the growth that she made from the beginning to the end of the story. I liked Forrest and every trope that he represented. He did not make nearly as much growth as Margot did, but it’s ok. He was the eye candy. The banter that took place between the 2 was fantastic. They were witty and well-written. I did enjoy the setting. Most romance books take place in a big city or have a small town vibe. This one was at a lodge in the middle of nowhere Alaska and I loved that. The romance was cute. It was a slow burn with some tension and angst.

However, I did feel like the timeline of the story was a little out of whack. I knew she was going to Alaska for 6 weeks. Not till the end of that time frame did the author state how much time was left. This left me unsure of where we were at within the 6 weeks time frame.

Overall, I thought this was a cute book. It was super entertaining that made the story go quickly. The author didn’t stick around on one thing for too long or harp on one area for a lengthy amount of time.

Review posted to GoodReads on 4/9/25
Review live on Amazon

I loved this book! It almost ended up at the bottom of my TBR list because I judged it by the cover (aaaa sorry not sorry), and I thought it was a Christmas book, instead it is "only" set in Alaska. A place that, after reading this book, I want to visit even more. Margot is, or rather was, a writer of romance novels, the ones full of cliches and the desire to love and cuddle others, but in reality she is a bit cynical, so cynical that she had a document with all the alternative endings, all disastrous and full of scenarios that border on reality. When the world accidentally discovers this side of her, she loses all her jobs. She is thus forced to switch genres and become a thriller writer. This is where Alaska and the dark Forrest come into play. The funniest thing about this book is the accumulation of all the possible and imaginable tropes and the fact that Margot acknowledge them all is even funnier. For a full romance read and a crazy scenario, I highly recommend this read. Thanks to Atria Books for the eARC via Netgalley!

[4 Stars😊] Any Trope but You brought all the humor and charm in Victoria Lavine's debut rom-com! I thought this was a great light-hearted and fast-paced palette cleanser after reading some emotionally heavy books, and I couldn't wipe the smile off my face while I was reading. I can't wait to see what she brings us next!

+Thanks to Netgalley and Atria Books for the ARC of Any Trope But You! All thoughts in this review are my own.
____________________________________
Details:
💘Romance
>>>🎈Romantic comedy
👀Dual, first-person POV
🥀Third act breakup (yes)
📖Books about books
🙌Would re-read

Characters and tropes:
🌪️Broody MMC
⚔️Enemies-to-lovers
>>>🥊Dislike-to-love
🐟Fish out of water
📍Forced proximity
>>>🐴Neighbors
🛏️Only one bed (tent)

Spice:
🧨Slow burn
🔥Spice: hot
____________________________________
Emoji Ranking System:
🤩Excellent to Fantastic (4.75-5.00)
😍Very Good to Great (4.25-4.50)
😊Good to Really Good (3.50-4.00)
😒Just OK to Decent (2.75-3.25)
😑It's A No (1.00-2.50)
🚫DNF

This book had a lot of hype, and I had high expectations for it. It reminded me a little bit of The Simple Wild with the Alaskan setting and the fish out of water scenario for the main character Margot. This had some emotional elements, specifically the emotional toll of caring for the health of a loved one, but it was a bit lighter in tone compared to The Simple Wild. I loved the nods to the romance tropes and though cliche, they all felt very natural in the story. This was cute, but as a seasonal reader I wish this would have been a late fall or winter book release because it was such a cozy, snowy story.

Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for the ARC of Any Trope but You in exchange for an honest review.

Excuse me while I do an adorably obnoxious happy dance because of how much I loved this book. I have been in a reading slump like no other but this book snapped me out of it quicker than a cold shower (which some may find comes in handy after reading this one at select parts). Not only is this book essentially exactly what the title tells you it is, it also has a storyline that sucks you in from the very beginning and keeps you reading chapter after chapter.

Margot is a best selling romance author and she’s also a fraud. She’s a romance author who does not under any circumstance believe in happily ever after thanks to her own jaded love life and those who have let her down repeatedly over the years. All too suddenly, Margot gets a bitter taste of cancel culture when her fans uncover her actual perspective on HEAs and the fact that it’s all a bunch of crap. In order to take time to heal and lick her wounds, Margot’s sister sends her to Alaska on a remote retreat to find her badassery again and do some soul searching. Being that Margot is the caretaker for her sister who suffers from an autoimmune disease, being away for 6 long weeks proves to be impossible. That is until she meets Forrest, the caretaker and son of the resort owner. In true every romance trope under the sun fashion, Margot and Forrest quickly move from enemies to lovers and cross off several other classic tropes on their way to discovering each other and exploring the possibility that HEA may actually exist.

As stated above, I truly enjoyed this book so much. In most cases, romance novels are fairly straightforward and you can essentially tell how the book with end with 98.7% accuracy. However, in this case, I had zero idea how this storyline would conclude being that both Morgan and Forrest are faced with some pretty difficult decisions to make that most certainly are not surface level issues. These two are certainly the very definition of “couples goals” if I’ve ever seen it myself. Any Trope but You hit shelves April 1st, and don’t be fooled, this one you’ll want to get your hands on!