This was a fun debut novel and I’ll be sure to check out future releases from Victoria Lavine.

The premise of all the romance tropes happening in this book was unique. Margot is a best selling romance author who secretly has a file of ‘happily NEVER afters’ and that being leaked was hilarious and refreshing. This starts her adventure in Alaska where *gasp* she meets Forrest who fits in all the romance tropes. The banter and chemistry between Margot and Forrest was perfect during their meet-cute and forced proximity-sharing one tent. Also, Margot’s sister Savannah was the best cheerleader, it’d be amazing to see her get her own book too. This book was funny, heartfelt and adventurous.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for the ARC.

This was cute. Definitely a little cliche and you can totally pick out where the plot is going but if you’re in the mood for a cozy, only-one-bed style romance!

This book strikes a wonderful balance between authenticity and humor, making it an engaging and relatable read. I was drawn to the main character’s journey, particularly her evolution as she navigates out of a period of turmoil. The romantic chemistry between her and the male lead was palpable—rich, dynamic, and compelling. Together, they created a relationship that felt both genuine and captivating. The supporting characters and subplots were well-crafted, complementing the central narrative and adding layers to the overall story.

The writing itself was exceptional, with a fluidity and pacing that kept me invested throughout. The way the narrative unfolded, particularly in terms of character development, made me feel intimately connected with Margot’s world. It’s clear why this book has garnered such popularity—each chapter was a new reason to stay invested in the story. Forrest, in particular, embodied all the qualities I look for in a romantic lead: charm, emotional depth, and his own character arc that gave the story even more richness.

What I especially appreciated was how the book navigated familiar romantic tropes, turning them into something fresh and satisfying. It’s a perfect read for anyone seeking a thoughtfully written romance with depth and substance. Without a doubt, I would recommend it to those looking for a narrative that combines emotional resonance with intellectual appeal. -a must-read that’s hard to put down.

3.5/5

I liked, didn't love this one. These characters are constantly getting in their own way, and there's one trope after another to the point where the fmc, Margot, exclaims "I can't be in another trope with you!" I love a self aware trope, but it gets to be a bit much.

I also had a hard time believing the extreme repurcussions of someone leaking Margot's secret file of "happily never after" endings to her well loved HEA romance novels. It rocks the literary world, her publisher DROPS HER, and she has to go escape to Alaska to rediscover herself.

Once there, she literally jumps into the arms of Forrest, which I mention because 1) it's the first of their tropes, and 2) it's to escape what she thought was a bear but what ends up being a "completely harmless" moose. Yes, it turns out to be a basically domesticated moose named Bullwinkle, but my first thought when facing a moose wouldn't be, "Oh, harmless."

In the end, not deal breakers. Suspend your disbelief and enjoy the story, including some steamy moments (hello, sauna).

Thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for the ARC in exchange for my honest review. I think this will be gobbled up when it comes out in April, and I will definitely read more from this author.

Did this make me want to fly to Alaska and meet a hot, grumpy lumberjack kind of man? Absolutely. Beyond that, this one fell a little flat for me. I think my issue right off the bat is that it felt a little unrealistic. Of course, I know it's a book, so I take these things with a grain of salt, but the idea that an author was outed for not believing in happily ever afters and, therefore, essentially gets canceled by her entire audience feels... silly. It definitely gives Hallmark, which I know is popular for a reason!

I also very much enjoyed putting as many tropes as possible into a book to lean into the fact that that is such a big marketing tool these days. Authors focus heavily on tropes, so putting them all in one book to shine a light on that was very entertaining! By the end, however, it felt a little repetitive by the end. All in all, it was a very cute story, but it wasn't my favorite. I would definitely recommend it in the winter when you're looking for a snowy getaway.

"Any Trope but You" by Victoria Lavine was a delightful surprise! Don’t let the Alaskan setting make you save this for winter—add it to your summer TBR immediately! The book provides a playful twist on common romance tropes in a refreshingly unique and funny way. In a genre often saturated with predictable love stories, this one feels fresh. The vivid Alaskan backdrop (a personal auto-read setting for me!) and well-crafted characters, brimming with witty banter and undeniable chemistry, make this a must-read. This book gets rather steamy, especially towards the end which did start to feel a bit redundant. Overall, it's a fun and entertaining read!
Thank you to NetGallery and Atria Books for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Someone rent me a cabin in Alaska! This book was so much FUN. I loved the characters, the setting and the solid writing. Some of the scenes got quite steamy, but the overall story was super sweet and I loved the connection between the sisters and the discussions surrounding caregiving. I thought it was really beautifully done. A fantastic debut. I will be keeping my eye out for future books by Victoria Lavine (hopefully with another super cute cover)!

Thanks to Atria Books and NetGalley for the advanced copy.

Posted to Goodreads on January 16, 2025

Any Trope But You was so good!! I was hooked right from the start of the book. Our female main character Margo is wracked with guilt because she writes romance books for a living but doesn’t actually believe in the HEA’s (happily ever afters) she writes about. She has private notes with alternate endings for her books where her MMC’s end up with hilarious travesties like a beer belly or the need of a prescription for viagra. This private list of HNE’s (happily never afters) gets leaked to her fans and they cancel her for being a phony. Margo decides to make a career comeback by writing a new book which will be the antithesis of romance, a murder mystery. After Margo’s humiliating PR disaster her sister urges her to head up to a remote area of Alaska to get inspiration for her book. The first person Margot encounters is our MMC, Forrest, who happens to embody all the qualities of every romance hero she’s written about. Forrest comes with his own baggage and pessimism toward love but the two find themselves experiencing just about every romance cliche trope you can think of. It’s so fun to see them slowly realize their affection for one another while they work through personal struggles. Margot and Forrest kept me wondering whether they were going to get a HEA or HNA in this life romance.

There are some sad and serious subplots in the story but Victoria Levine wrote them perfectly. I saw a mention of triple negative breast cancer before I started the book and, as someone with metastatic TNBC myself, I was bracing myself for something upsetting. I was so happy with the way it was handled and kudos to the author on creating awareness around this specifically awful type of breast cancer.

This is a bold statement so early in the year but I think it will be my favorite romance book of the year. Victoria Levine, how is this your first book and when can I read the next?

This was a cutie!

I loved the Alaska setting, enjoyed the premise (romance writer x sexy doctor / wilderness lodge manager), the sweet families, and the adorable HEA!

Any Trope but You is the perfect type of romance - it's funny, it's sexy, and it's deep. Victoria Lavine somehow delves into serious health-related issues. without creating melodrama or heaviness. I LOVED Forrest and Margo - they both had such depth of character. I will recommend this book to everyone, not just romance readers. And I will be putting this on my "re-read" shelf.

🌶️3.5
⭐️3.5 (rounded up!)

This was a super sweet read. I really liked the idea of a romance author who doesn't believe in love but finds it. I also thought that it was really fun when she'd point out a classic trope and begrudge that things we so ironic. Was this book entirely predictable? It was indeed, but it was still really cute. I really hate third-act breakups, especially ones that are a miscommunication so the ending was very meh. He comes back after 2 months or radio silence, tells her he loves her and low-key proposes and then literally "The End"? Nah I need more than that!!

In terms of the writing itself, I thought the author did an amazing job at describing the scenery and landscape of Alaska. It definitely fueled my desire to be an off-the-grid hermit. There were also really good instances of the author knowing what it's like to live in artic temperatures; having had to camp in a tiny and thin tent in the middle of nowhere in the snow, my extremities were frost-bitten just at the memory thanks to that particular excursion. I do hate when an author is writing from the equator and is guessing what it's like to be cold, so I daresay she had done some in-person experiences. The spice scenes were good, but there were a few times a description or the dialogue would give me the ick.

A cute, light-hearted winter read for sure!! Thank you so much for this ARC!

Any Trope but You
3.5 stars

This was cute. A popular romance author, Margot Bradley, is forced to reinvent herself after an Anti Happily Ever After list gets out and her fan base have strong reactions. So her sister sets her up on an Alaskan getaway...for 6 weeks. When she gets there to realize there is no wifi and moose walking about the property she is all but impressed. And the manger of the lodge where she is staying is rugged, handsome and the perfect man from a romance novel.

Forrest Wakefield is handsome, charming and wildly smart. He is a cancer researcher but has recently left his job to care for his ailing father and help run the lodge. Both Forrest and Margot are not interested in anything but trope after trope they are forced together and end up being quite drawn to one another. Can they both overcome their fears and get their very own HEA?

The banter was good and overall I enjoyed the characters but the romance was a little cringy and the sex scenes toward the end and back to back chapters was a little overkill for me. I did enjoy the Alaskan element and the excursions that they went on. Those were fun and helped each character grow. Both of them trying to navigate caring for a loved one was emotional and thought provoking. I probably would do the exact same thing in their situations. And also watching how those loved ones react to the overbearing caring was beautiful.

Overall this had a great message.

Cute and enjoyable rom-com book. Some of the will-they won't-they got a little repetitive. The characters seemed to keep the same internal arguments to not get together and they got frustrating at times. But overall the communication and banter between them was well done.

I ate this book up, it was SO cute and such a great plot line. The spice was SPICING and Forrest is the stuff of literal dreams?? I definitely recommend it if you want a fun, cute but poignant romance and are a fan of romance books in general. I really enjoyed it, the perfect book for a winter break!

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/7135743394

Any Trope but You is the *perfect* winter read. I loved Margot and really connected with her character because I, too, was jaded when it came to love at one point in my life. I loved the setting. I loved Forrest. This was one of the best books that I’ve read in a while!
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this arc ebook in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

This book was so sweet. I loved it and it gave me all the feels. I plan to read it again. Thank you for the arc.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing this digital ARC.

3⭐️

It truly lives up to it’s name, honestly ever single trope. The story was fine but not one that I would rush to recommend.

This spicy rom-com is like a Hallmark movie. Margot, a jaded romance writer who’s recently been "cancelled", escapes to Alaska to run straight into the hard chest of the stereo-typical male main character. Together they fall in to all the classic romance tropes. It’s a fun, lighthearted reminder not to take reading too seriously.

This was everything you wanted all wrapped into a romance novel. Quirky, heart ripping, the tropes... oh the tropes!!!!!! I couldn't sing higher praises to this book and would definitely recommend reading!

I loved this book. It had been awhile since I've read something that tugged at my emotions like this book did. It's hard to believe this is the authors debut novel. I loved the duel POV between Margot, a romance author who gets cancelled after alternate endings of her books are released, and Forrest, the handsome doctor who is in Alaska taking care of his dad and helping to run his family's lodge. They have great chemistry and because of the things they are going through in their own lives, they understand each other like no one else does. The author was able to include almost every romance trope in the story without making it unbelievable. This one was a lot of fun to read!

Spiciness: 3/5 🌶️

Thank you to Netgalley and Atria for the ARC!