Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for providing me with an egalley of this book to read and give my honest review. The opinions expressed here are my own.
We all have our tropes we love, and those we hate. So what happens when an author decides to take all the romance tropes and throw then in one book? A lot of fun, that's what! This Hallmarkish story had me from page one. Not only is it fun, it's funny, and witty, and just full of that push and pull chemistry that reals me in and keeps me stuck on a story.
Romance writer Margot Bradley has made a terrible mistake. She's forgotten how to let love into her life. Tainted by years of disappointment from the men around her, she channels her disbelief in love into her books. But when someone finds her own personal document of happily never afters, she gets canceled by her audience. Forced to face this tumultuous time in her life, and love by her disabled sister too much to let the opportunity slip by, the sister books Margot into an Alaskan hunting lodge turned extreme hikers dream. Margot is such a great character. She's charming and witty but she also has this nerdish quality to her that makes her super endearing. And she has no idea the hold she can possess on someone. Her blinders for love or anything like it are fully in place, until she meets Forrest Wakefield and starts to realize all those tropes she's written about in her many romance novels really do come true. Cute, chiseled man? Check! Man who wants to care for her? Check? Close proximity vibe? Check! Enemies to lovers? Well, sort of!
Forrest has his own demons. He's been forced to give up his promising research career to care for his injured father and help him get back on his feet. The man is so selfless he has given up everything he's ever wanted to make sure those around him do not suffer. But he also carries around a mound of grief over his mother's death and this keeps him tethered to a life he truly does not want. Meeting Margot Bradley was not what he expected at his hunting lodge turned extreme hiker's paradise, but here she is jumping into his arms and throwing him off kilter. So for all the tropes of a perfect man, he is truly un perfect underneath, giving up his own happiness so that others don't have to do so.
I don't know much about Alaska, except there's a lot of snow, ice, and cold. But what I do know is that it is beautiful. Lavine did a nice job creating a landscape that was at the same time inviting and frozen. I loved her descriptions and, despite me not loving the cold at all, she really did make me want to go to Alaska and check out what it may have to offer.
As the story unfolds, and Margot begins to write in another genre to see if she can fix her career, she finds herself drawn to Forrest over and over again. Lavine wrote their chemistry really well. Of course she inserts the love (lust) at first sight trope right from the very start. Though there is so much more to how the relationship between Forrest and Margot grows and changes, blossoms and sparks. The spicy scenes are just perfect enough to keep me wanting more. I loved the compatibility between the two characters despite their differences.
Lavine's pacing is spot on. The story flows well with a great amount of tension building and then bursting just at the right time. For those of you who are not fans, their is a "third act break up" but this story would not follow all the great tropes if it did not have that. I loved how Lavine truly built her story around almost every single romance trope you can think of. It made the book fun, if not a little predictable. But for me, I love a bit of predictability in my romance books. And her writing was very good. I enjoyed it. It wasn't full of the characters telling us what was going on, but truly showing us what was unfolding around them.
What probably hooked me the most in the book were Margot's letters from her sister. Each letter telling a story about their lives past, present, and future. It was like having another POV happening while you were only hearing from the FMC.
This book has it all: great tropes, firey chemistry between the two main characters, well developed FMC and MMC, fun and funny side characters. challenges, and growth and reflection. I'm definitely a Lavine fan and she will be on my auto-read author list for all her future books! 4.75 stars!

Margot is a jaded romance author who travels to remote Alaska after her fanbase learns that she doesn’t believe in happily ever afters. Shortly after arriving she finds herself living all of the most popular romance novel tropes. This was such a fresh and exciting debut novel! The writing is fun and the storytelling handles spice and more serious topics (chronic illness, loss of a parent, etc) equally well. Margot wasn’t my favorite FMC but the MMC, Forrest, and her sister more than make up for it! I can’t wait to see what Victoria Lavine comes up with next!

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for this fantastic ARC provided in exchange for my honest review!

Such a cute Hallmark-esk story. Everyone hits a burn out where it is hard to see the positives at times, one of the best ways to work through it is writing it to get it out. When Romance author Margot had her rough times, and times of doubt she added them to a file of alternate endings. During a podcast of booklovers a hacker outed her file causing her to loose everything and everyone to label her as a fraud. In an attempt to help her find her true self her sister sends her on a six week trip to the wilderness of Alaska, where Margot meets Forrest, who checks off every romance Trope you can think of. But he has some choices of his own. Will Margot find her Happily Ever After?

I received this ARC from Atira Books, via Netgalley.

This romance set in Alaska draws readers into an emotional journey that deeply connects with the heart. The story unfolds around two characters whose love grows and faces challenges as they navigate their personal journeys. Their connection feels real and develops naturally, offering a heartfelt portrayal of love and growth. The novel beautifully delves into the complexities of relationships, showing that love is not always straightforward but can bring profound change.

The ending is both moving and memorable, leaving the reader to reflect on the impact of love in their own life. This story stays with you, offering a look at how love shapes decisions and where it ultimately leads.

This book was an absolute delight, filled with heart, spice and triumph.
.
The sheer quality of writing had hooked me from the first page. It was absolutely refreshing to be swept right into the world of the North Star Lodge, Alaska and Margot & Forrest’s lives via every one of my senses. On top of being incredibly well written, Any Trope But You was so engaging and filled with an enjoyable plot, developed characters with interesting backstories, needed challenges, tender moments, lots of love and lots of spice! We got to know Margot and Forrest in a way that made you fall in love with them right as they were falling in love with each other and the important parts of each other’s lives.
.
What an incredible debut novel, I am officially hooked and will wait IMPATIENTLY for whatever is next from Victoria Lavine!

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me a copy of the e-book in exchange for an honest review!

I overall enjoyed this story. I was drawn to the cover and so excited that I was given a copy to read ahead of publication because the premise of a romcom taking place in the Alaskan wild is the perfect snowy day read. The fun that the author poked at romance tropes was great, it kept it light hearted. The spice was great, Margot is correct that Forrest is the perfect novel man.

I will be honest, Margot was hard to root for and Forrest wasn’t fleshed out as much as he could be. I’d really love a book focusing on Savannah because she was the best character.

Oh wow, I really loved this.

I went into Any Trope But You expecting cute and fun. And it is - it’s got entertaining characters, a fantastic setting, and as the title promises, it’s packed full of romance tropes galore. On top of that, it’s SO witty and entertaining - it got me to laugh out loud in public (and as a spicy romance connoisseur, I have perfected the public poker face so that’s saying something). However, as you read, you realize it’s getting better and better with every page, and before you know it you’ve got goosebumps and you’re crying because you weren’t expecting such a beautiful love story. It’s tribute to romance readers and a celebration of all of the best things about the community and the genre.

I truly can’t believe Victoria Levine is a debut author. I was sucked in right away by the writing style and basically forgot I was reading until the book was over. Although it’s *purposefully* full of well known tropes, I thought the premise was fresh and interesting. I loved that Margot, the fmc, is a romance writer attempting a switch to murder mysteries after a scandal. Despite being neither outdoorsy nor a fan of the cold, I also loved the Alaskan setting. All of the excursions they went on were so fun to imagine, and I loved the coziness of the lodge as well. The guests and staff were so much fun to read about, and I of course loved the quirkiness of Bullwinkle the moose just hanging around as well.

This comes out April 1st, but I am already patiently awaiting whatever Victoria Lavine comes up with next. Thank you so much to NetGalley and Atria Books for allowing me to read this arc. It was a pleasure!

The FMC was really annoying and I found that I didn’t really care about any of the characters. Everything was silly and forced.

Have you ever read a book and known within the first few pages that it was just *your* kind of book? That’s how I felt reading this one! This book was an absolute treat - the kind of book that reminds me why I love reading romances so much. The author describes it as a love letter to romance readers and that’s exactly what it felt like. From the clever wordplay to the sizzling chemistry to covering quite literally every trope in the book, it was everything I look for in a romance. As the title indicates, you can expect to find many of your favorite romance tropes within the pages of this book, but you can also expect to find hilarious dialogue, endearing characters, and a setting so stunning that it’ll have you googling Alaskan vacations. I can hardly believe it was a debut - it was so delightfully charming and heartfelt and laugh out loud funny and I just adored the author’s writing style. After reading this book I firmly believe that Victoria Lavine is going to be the next big romance author, and you simply can’t convince me otherwise!

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

It’s hard not to love a good romance trope, but what about when they’re all wrapped into one?

Margot Bradley is a romance author who after an unfortunate turn of events is cancelled by her beloved fans. Her sister, Savannah, ships her off to Alaska to write her next greate novel where she literally jumps into the arms of Forrest Wakefield. The first thing she notices about her interaction with Forrest? The legit meet cute they just had. Over Margot’s next 6 weeks in the remote Alaskan wilderness, she’s forced to face to fractures in her own heart so that she can heal and maybe have her own Happily Ever After (HEA) someday.

Read if you:
✨ like dual POV
✨ like witty banter
✨ want a legitimately laugh out loud read
✨ like any romance trope, because they’re all there—wrapped up into one individual

Victoria Lavine’s writing was so refreshing—straightforward, laugh out loud funny, and easy to read. She created an idyllic setting in remote Alaska that has me wanting to go and spend some time off the grid. I really enjoyed watching Margot and Forrest face their own jaded pasts in order to heal and be the best versions of themselves in order to grow and move forward. I also really related to the caregiver aspect that both Margot and Forrest both experience.

Overall, this was such a fun and refreshing read and I can’t wait to get my hands on the finalized copy in April!

I can’t believe this is a debut and she got breast cancer while writing this book 🤯 .it was heartfelt, witty, banter and the perfect chemistry. I hope she writes more novels! Some of my favorites quotes:

“So you were knocked on your ass. So what? Do you think Taylor Swift gave up after her recording company screwed her over? No. She started rerecording her own albums and emerged as a new woman. A better woman. And when people still tried to dim her shine? Do you think she threw in the towel? No. She slapped the world back with her Eras Tour.”

“And maybe this was his plan all along, because I feel a sudden alarming urge to confess everything. To tell him that all my life, I’ve wrapped falsehoods around me like duct tape over broken glass, so no one gets hurt.”

“what I didn’t understand about Happily Ever After is that there are some people who come into your life—even for just a moment—who have the power to fundamentally change you forever. They’re the people who see right through all your masks, and all your bullshit, and love you anyway. And not just despite all your wounds but because of them too. You’re safe in their hands for as long as you can hold on to each other, but even when it’s time to part ways, you leave knowing you’ve been truly seen.”

3.5-4⭐️

Overall, this one was cute and enjoyable. The writing style was really engaging and the humor landed well. The banter, chemistry, angst, and mutual pining was on point. It had a good balance of humor and heart. I enjoyed the dual POV! It’s always fun to read about a guy being completely gone for his girl. All that said, I did have some complaints and there were some things I wish had been done a bit differently.

I think my main struggle with the book was that I had trouble connecting with Margot. I found her to be very frustrating and annoying at times. There were times throughout the book where I thought I was starting to like her more and then she would do or say another thing that made me roll my eyes at her again. She just came off as a bit bratty to me.

I will say that Forrest was a pretty generic MMC. But I guess that was his whole thing…he was basically supposed to be the embodiment of a perfect romance MMC. Predictably, I liked him haha. He was hot, kind, caring, capable, strong, rugged, intelligent, selfless, successful, enjoys reading, and has a heart of gold (I mean, who wouldn’t be into that?!) 🙈 He lost some points with me for how she handled things I the third act. (Frankly, I would’ve liked to have seen more groveling after that lol).

Speaking of California, I wish he had stuck with that nickname. I think it’s such a cute microtrope when we have a teasing nickname that turns into a term of endearment; however, switching to “sweetheart” was unfortunate to me. Maybe that’s more of a personal preference but “sweetheart” makes me think of a grandpa or creepy old man and was a bit of an ick during spice scenes. Even a nickname like “sunshine” would’ve been better (like the CA sun, how she brightens his life, makes him feel warm, etc.). Again though, that’s more of just a personal ick rather than a real complaint about the writing or story. 🙈

I think Savannah was probably my favorite character. I enjoyed the epistolary trope with her letters! I did think the side characters were fun too!

I went into this book knowing that it would be very trope-driven, as the title suggests, and it did in fact hit ALLLL the big tropes (even a few that I wasn’t a huge fan of—looking at you “too big to fit” and third act breakup 👀). I actually had a lot of fun with it having so many of the tropes we all know and love. That said, I didn’t love that they were pointed out/listed pretty much every time, it felt a little uncomfortable to me that that’s how Margot’s brain worked (especially when she starts rolling her eyes or complaining out loud or telling Forrest he’s just another trope and reducing him to that. I did like that she had some moments of self-awareness about this where she realized that she was kind of being unfair to think about him that way. Idk, it felt like the author was just trying to check off a list of all the big romance tropes and while she did pack a ton of tropes in there (too many to list), some did feel a bit forced into the story.

As far as the romance, I also had some difficulty believing that he loved Margot for HER rather than what she represented (a reminder of his California life that he missed and someone who could relate to his experiences) given the instalove and how this his inner narrative was pretty repetitive about her reminding him of his old life and everything he couldn’t have but wanted, etc. I was also a little unconvinced about how quickly Margot was able to start believing in love and HEAs again after having a lifelong disbelief in them. Like they’ve only known each other a relatively short amount of time and much of that time they were in conflict. It just seemed a little quick for her to do that much of a turnaround and want to spend her life with someone. But I guess, as they say, “when you know you know”. 🤷‍♀️ I don’t mind a fast-burn—my husband and I knew we wanted to marry eachother within 2 months of dating too; however, I also wasn’t fighting against a lifelong disbelief in love and HEAs.

The main area of character growth was her learning to let herself love again. I would’ve liked to have seen them both grow to recognize how their self-martyrdom was unhealthy and make the decision for themselves to do less of that rather than having their hands forced by family. It just felt like they only ended up together and had healthier boundaries due to external influence rather than internal growth. As a therapist, I just wish that had been executed a little differently. 🤷‍♀️

(**Potentially slightly spoilery**) On that note, I have to agree with Forrest on being frustrated with the timing of his dad’s decision due to the impact on his career. I’m glad he at least gets Margot back, but that wasn’t enough of a HEA for him in my opinion. I would’ve liked an epilogue showing a glimpse into their HEA for it to feel more convincing. I would’ve liked to have read that he made some kind of huge accomplishment in his research or got another grant or something and read about them moving in together or being married or whatever to convince me of a HEA rather than a HFN.

Overall, I enjoyed this one quite a bit despite my qualms with some aspects of it. It was fun and funny, swoony and sexy, but also surprisingly poignant. It was a good debut! Victoria Lavine seems like she will be an author to watch!

Thank you to Victoria Lavine, NetGalley, and Atria Books for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

A perfect love letter to the romance genre. FIVE CHARS (Even though we don't like Charlotte over here). This book made me feel all the feels.

I loved the setting of Alaska. This is pretty sweet romance book. There were couple cringe moments which sometimes can make me hate the book. Here it wasn’t anything too major. This book made me go to Alaska even more than I wanted before.

Any Trope But You by debut author Victoria Lavine is my first 5 star read of 2025. Margot is a beloved romance author whose HEAs are world renowned, but when Margot’s personal file documenting her hatred for her fans favorite characters and her belief that HEAs are not real gets leaked and then goes viral, her sister helps her flee to Alaska to take a 6 week hiatus internet free. In this 6 weeks, she needs to recover from the scandal by writing a new book and communing with the Alaskan wilderness. Who better to help her recover than hotel proprietor Dr. Forrest Wakefield? Let me tell you, he makes sure to keep Margot warm in the Alaskan tundra. First of all, this book is hilarious. I laughed and giggled at the crazy wilderness excursion mishaps that Margot finds herself in. The simmering chemistry between Margot and Forrest is hot, but Margot resists as long as she can because as a romance author, she see tropes all around her and she doesn’t want to fall into a trope and be let down at her own HEA. Any Trope but You releases 4/1. Grab a copy. It’s funny, sexy, and guaranteed to be a good time.

Any Trope but You is a refreshing and delightfully self-aware take on the romance genre. The author’s ability to balance sharp humor with heartfelt emotional beats sets this book apart, making the characters feel vivid and relatable. While the premise of two rival writers reworking tired tropes could have felt gimmicky, the story instead shines with its nuanced exploration of creative tension, personal growth, and the way love often defies categorization.

The premise and start of this book were really cute but the execution fell a bit flat. While I always enjoy dual POV in romance novels, I felt like I was just getting the main characters’ thoughts the whole time and felt a severe lack of dialogue. I also felt like the two main characters learned way too much about each other from other people or indirect ways instead of sharing things directly with each other. This led to their relationship coming off a lot more shallow than what the author intended it to be. Also, the main character’s sister was by far my favorite character and it wasn’t even her story. Lastly, while I understand the main character was a romance writer herself, all the mentions and use of tropes just all felt way too much on the nose and (I hate to use this word) cringey. All that aside, I did appreciate the ending and how they were able to work out their own happily ever after despite the challenges they faced to get there.

This was so sweet!! heart-wrenching read, yet beautifully written. I loved both Margot and Forrest, and how they manage to care for a beloved family member. The setting is one of my favorite things about this book. The writing is well done. I’ll definitely be seated for her next books <3

I went into this book thinking it would be a light, fluffy romcom. (Definitely some It Happened One Summer vibes). And while it is funny and romantic (and spicy!), it’s definitely not fluffy. There’s a lot of hurt and angst and caretaking that adds a number of layers to both MCs. And I enjoyed it so much more because of all of it. Thanks to Atria for the ARC.

This was a bit cliche and the plot wasn’t very deep but overall I thought this book was a good one. It kept me intrigued from the beginning. The right mix of love and laughter for a book. It was a bit long for my liking. It was also the first time I have read this author.