Any Trope but You was a good time while I was reading it! I thought Margot could have been a little nicer and some of her choices had me going ??? but overall I was rooting for the couple! I was riveted by the plot the first like 75% and then I think the ending fell a little flat. I also didn't love the side character trying to get in Margot's pants constantly but maybe that's a me issue.

However, any readers out there looking for a fun, tropey-on-purpose romance should look no further. The MMC was a standout character as was his father. This was a cute read and I do recommend it!

Thank you for the ARC!

“Reading novels is one of the most time-honored ways of understanding and processing the human experience, and an essential part of that human experience is, of course, love.”

TLDR: This book is trope-tastic and I loved every bit of it. It’s a sweet and funny love letter to the romance genre and the readers who love it. One that will have you laughing, squealing with delight, and probably blushing a time or two. A fantastic debut!

I grabbed this from my NetGalley shelf because my little southern never-gets-snow town was expecting some and I wanted a book that had all the wintery snow vibes. This one was exactly what I was hoping for and more. Not only did the vibe fit perfectly while I watched the snow fall while drinking coffee by the fire, it ended up being my first 5⭐️ read of the year. I was completely sucked into the story. It wasn’t hard to do with that ridiculous and hysterical meet-cute. More than that though I fell in love with ALL the characters including the supporting characters, which speaks to how well the book was written. I would read a spin off book about any of them. Also, we can add Forrest to my list of 2025 book boyfriends. He is the perfect MMC, flaws and all. The wood chopping, gourmet meal cooking, knight in flannel I didn’t know I needed in my life. I loved Margo’s character arc. I kept thinking about Margo’s situation and how I would feel as a reader had that happened to one of my favorite authors. I loved how she was pushed outside of her comfort zone on this trip to the Alaskan wilderness and the growth that she experienced because of it. I adored the letters from her sister, they were sweet and tender and gave us a glimpse into her past to understand why the Happily Never After files existed to begin with. I always enjoy reading books with sweet sibling relationships. This one is unique and now one of my favorites.

Tropes + things
alaskan setting
caretaking
wilderness adventures
forced proximity
snowed in
Dual POV/1st person

I truly can’t believe this is a debut. I’ll definitely be doing a reread when the audiobook comes out. I’m looking forward to reading more from her in the future.

Thank you so much to Netgalley and Atria books for providing me with this ARC! I had seen a few good reviews about it on bookstagram, but hadn't heard of the author before, but wanted to give it a try since it seemed right up my alley. And it absolutely was! Victoria Lavine now has a big fan in me, and this is her debut novel which is even more impressive.

The premise is that a bestselling romance novelist escapes to Alaska to reinvent herself and write her first murder mystery. But when she meets the ruggedly hot resort owner, she starts to wonder if she's caught in a rom-com instead.

Really cute rom com that had me hooked and was a super binge-able read. Loved the Alaska small-town setting, found family, and all the tropes managed to be squeezed in (which was the point!) It was verging on insta-love.. But I didn't mind.
The romance was so sweet and spicy I was here for it and I thought the third act breakup made a lot of sense, I wasn't rolling my eyes. And a pretty good ending too!

This managed to pack in just about every romance trope into one book but still be such a fun and unique read. I loved the two main characters together and was rooting for them so much. Can’t wait to see what this author writes next because I will 100% be reading it! This is definitely up there on the rom-com list for me, I am so glad that I had the opportunity to read it and would 100% recommend it

Oh this book totally caught me off guard and captured my heart. A romance novelist goes on a self imposed excited to the Alaskan wilderness (with no internet) after her list of alternate Happily Never After endings for her books is revealed and Bookstagram labeled her “the hate child of Miranda Priestly and Voldemort.“ for not believing in love. There she meets a doctor/researcher who is now running the lodge taking care of his father after an accident. The MMC is seriously the archetype for the ideal romance hero.

It has ALL THE TROPES and that’s the point. It’s so sweet and heartwarming, but also snarky and self deprecating. It had “Happiness for Beginners” vibes at some points, which, for me,is always a good thing. The FMC and MMC were annoyance to love perfection. The way they both tried to convince themselves to ignore what they were feeling just added to the delightful slow burn.

The secondary characters were so well developed and the conflicts in the plot felt authentic. Plus the amount of Taylor Swift references, chef’s kiss.

I’m storing this to have on hand for any time my daughter needs a psych up speech.

“…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.”

So basically I loved it and I’m sad it’s over. 4.5/5 stars. Pub date 4/1/25.

Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for this advanced copy.

First of all, I'd like to thank netgally for the free arc in return for my honest review!

Any trope, but you is about disgraced author Margot Bradley going to Alaska to get away from her 'cancelation' much like Taylor swift in the year of reputation. Margot got 'canceled' due to a hacker finding a file called happily never afters, in which she writes alternative endings where the couples of her books break up. Upon going to Alaska, she meets Forrest, the grumpy son of the owner of the lodge.

✨️✨️✨️ Spoiler ahead, possibly ✨️✨️✨️


In the beginning, 75% of the book Margot annoyed me. She was being mean to Forrest for no reason.

I loved Trapper. Every scene he was in, he stole the show. I would love a book about him and Jo their romance would be one of my favorites, especially if it had to do with his accident!


The scene where he is afraid to be "on top" because he didn't want to 'hurt her' because she was so small gave the the ick and almost made me DNF!

This book was so cute! A love letter to romance readers everywhere :)
Both Margot and Forrest share similar traumas. It was heartwarming seeing them slowly open up to each other. Both are grumps and feel jaded about relationships. Victoria's voice felt fresh and fun. It was hard to put this one down. I'm excited to read future books from this author.
Thank you Netgalley!

As a debut book, this is sooo good. It has chemistry, heart, love, and humor!
I hope it gets the praise it deserves. Forrest and Margot will not be characters I forget about anytime soon.
It's like, I've come to the end, and can't focus on a significant thing to comment about in the story, because it was all written so seamlessly, my brain is mush. There were no boring moments, or parts that could've been removed.
I enjoyed the whole thing.

After hearing terrific praise for this book I was thrilled to have the opportunity to preview it. It was an absolute delight; sincere, self-deprecating in the best way… Victoria Lavine has a singular voice. I can’t wait to read what she comes up with next.

3 ⭐️⭐️⭐️ on this one. First off, I just want to say that I LOVED the idea of this book. A romance author that doesn’t believe in the happily ever afters that she writes, who instead writes secret happy NEVER afters??? Yes, just yes!

This fmc experiences the ups and downs of life, making her extremely relatable. The millions of romance tropes she runs into with the love interest are fun to read for sure. Think knight in shining flannel, snowed in, forced proximity (iykyk), etc.

Even with this being a super cute read, the 3 stars comes from the speed of the character and plot development. This felt like the relationship was moved along too fast and prior to the reader having any real connection to the characters on their own. To me, that’s a big detractor from a book. That being said, this is a fun and light hearted read for a snowy winter day ❄️

Definitely some 🌶️🌶️ in this one for readers who enjoy that.

Quote that Stuck: “I’ve never felt so vulnerable, so exposed, or powerful in all my life.”

^^ this is something I will be thinking and reflecting on for sure!

As Margot said, “Reading novels is one of the most time honored ways of understanding and processing the human experience, and an essential part of that human experience is, of course, love.” 💕

Thank you NetGalley for giving me the chance and gifting me my first ARC. This authors debut was solid and her ideas are unique and clever, excited to see how her writing continues to develop!

A side note for anyone who notices the small details: there are a few small inconsistencies (ex: when he pours scotch, but then they keep talking about whiskey. I know these can be used interchangeably sometimes but every other time it’s mentioned it’s whiskey versus when it’s poured it’s scotch. My brain just latched to this) and a few small typos. None impact the story line but in case anyone else’s brain can be a bit goofy about those things, just know you’ll likely find a few.

Imagine your whole career revolved around creating happy endings for lovers, however, you don't believe in love. Now, consider what would you do if career ending information was leaked and went viral. What would you do? Would you brave the storm or would you run away to the middle of nowhere in Alaska to hide? Meet Margot, a romance writer whose file of alternative realistic and bad endings for her love interests is leaked and she finds herself hiding in Alaska with Hunk of a local Doctor leading her to question her opinion on the possibility and reality of love.

I really enjoyed this debut novel! I was so intrigued by the title of it and I loved how Lavine incorporated so many different tropes within the text! The chemistry between Margot and Forrest was so entertaining and I LOVED the banter. I read a lot of enemies to lovers, because it is my favorite trope and this was great! I would definitely recommend it to anyone who enjoyed that particular trope for sure! Now, I am off to book my Alaskan vacation!

Thank you NetGalley and Atria for the ARC and the chance to read and review this book early!

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/7214900006

LOVED this one!! A romance writer getting canceled for not believing in happily ever afters escapes to Alaska with one goal in mind: to reinvent herself. Only to find herself living out her own romance plot FULL of classic romance troupes. Truly just the perfect winter romance book. It was so cute, well-written, and funny. It is so rare that a book actually makes me laugh out loud but this one had me GIGGLING. The banter between Margot and Forrest!!!! PLEASE!!!

An absolutely fun read, perfect for this most recent cold snowy weekend. I *do* love a good trope*, and Lavine manages to put a fun twist on romance tropes while keeping it enjoyable. Her MC is sassy and fun, and the story has just the right amount of spice.

*I confess, whenever a plot is moved by a miscommunication that could be resolved by an actual conversation I get beyond frustrated, but Lavine seems to manage this well.

Looking forward to more books by this author.

This was so freaking cute and fun and actually hilarious. Is fake grump x grump a trope because it needs to be one now! Her and Forrest were actually just the cutest together even in the beginning when they clearly were trying not to vibe with each other.

What a great tongue in cheek novel about romance novel tropes. I loved every page.

The book follows Margot as she gets cancelled for being a romance writer who doesn't believe in HEAs. She goes away to a remote lodge in Alaska to reinvent herself and of course she finds loves in a series of cliche romance tropes. My faves: the meet cute and there is only one bed.

Lavine's writing had me legit laughing out loud. Her characters were well developed and the spice was on point. What a great debut novel!

Thank you netgalley and Atria for the advanced reader copy. My opinions are my own.

I was drawn in by the cute cover and wow, I loved this book so much! An LA romance writer gets cancelled for her "Happily Never After" file being hacked and released to the public, featuring alternate, not-so-nice endings of her romance novels. She banishes herself to a rural Alaskan lodge to write a murder story and lie low while reinventing herself. She does not expect to connect with Forrest, the lodge owner's son who left his medical research career to come back home and care for his ailing father.

Romance readers, this book is Abby Jimenez quality and you should read it immediately. The MCs are adorable yet sassy, full of depth and real flaws and weaknesses. Any book set in Alaska is an auto read for me, too. As a city girl who's spent years on and off in the woods, I can relate to Forrest and Margot's struggles with each other. I laughed, I cried, I enjoyed the spice. You can tell the author put her heart and soul into this debut, and I can't wait to read what she comes up with next. My only hangups are the letters from Margot's sister were a little cheesy and scripted. As someone who's not a Taylor Swift fan, I cringe at how that's made it's way so prevalently in the romance book world. Finally, any experienced hiking group would be starting a hike at sunrise or earlier in Alaska in November to avoid what happened later on in that chapter 🙃.

4 stars!

I really enjoyed this read! It was a quick read but very enjoyable and funny. I really appreciate the use of tropes in both the literal discussion by the character but also in the novel itself, because it wasn’t overdone or annoying. The characters have realistic reactions and responses to the issues that arise (for example, re: Charlotte). It is a sweet and heartwarming novel. The only lingering question I have is whether they would have been a match had they not shared extremely similar family care situations.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the chance to review this book!

DNF at 38%

I ended up being too bored to continue with this book, which sucks because the premise is fun and it’s well written - but it’s not well executed.

Margot’s journey to reinvention was funny and charming at first - the spider-monkey jump and hold onto a total stranger when she saw a moose for the first time had me laughing out loud! But…this reinvention isn’t anything new: California Girl goes to find herself in the wilds of Alaska and she will take part in weekly outdoor adventures so she can receive letters from her sister and feel good about herself. After the first excursion, I knew exactly how the rest of the book was going to go arc by arc. Rinse and repeat.

Forrest from the forest, the hero, seemed to have no personality beyond thinking Margot was hot but knowing he can’t sleep with her. He’s torn between his own past in California and taking care of his father….and wanting to sleep with Margot.

I just didn’t care to wait around for Forrest to pull his head out of ass, Margot to go through 5 more outdoor excursions, and these two to admit their feelings.

Also on a personal preference note, authors who make a heroine's like of Taylor Swift into a big personality trait: please stop. I am begging you. Margot could reinvent herself without knowing Ms. Swift has previously done it before.

I did enjoy the writing and will be curious to see what Lavine comes out with in the future, but Any Trope But You was a miss for me.

🌟 4.5 Stars 🌟

Thank you NetGalley and Atria Books for this E-ARC!

What a fantastic way to kick off my reading year! Any Trope but You had the perfect balance of humor, spice, and heart, making it an absolute joy to read. This book seamlessly combines the charm of a rom-com with deeper themes of self-discovery, resilience, and love.

The premise is wonderfully unique: Margot Bradley, a bestselling romance author who secretly doesn’t believe in Happily Ever Afters, finds herself canceled after her cynical alternate endings are leaked. Her journey to Alaska to reinvent herself—and write a murder mystery—was as hilarious as it was heartfelt. Watching her go from dodging moose to dodging feelings for the grumpy but kind-hearted resort owner, Dr. Forrest Wakefield, was everything I could have hoped for.

Margot and Forrest’s chemistry was magnetic. Their banter kept me laughing, the slow-burn romance had me swooning, and the emotional depth of their individual struggles added so much compassion and authenticity to the story. I loved how Margot's internal battle with vulnerability and Forrest’s fear of loss played into their relationship, making it feel real and earned.

Author Victoria Lavine skillfully weaves in clever nods to romance tropes, flipping them on their heads in a way that felt fresh and endearing. The snowy Alaskan setting was enchanting and added a cozy backdrop for all the romance and introspection.

If you’re looking for a story that celebrates romance while acknowledging life’s imperfections, Any Trope but You is a must-read. It’s charming, emotional, and laugh-out-loud funny—a stunning debut from an author I can’t wait to read more from.

Perfect for fans of quirky romance with a side of heartfelt introspection. Highly recommend!

Love, love, love. Every added trope made me chuckle as the FMC made fun of herself and called out the cliches. You couldn’t help getting caught up in the ridiculous nature of it and smiling along. Absolutely charming!!

4.5 stars, rounded up.

This book was such a fun escape into the Alaska wilderness! I especially enjoyed the premise of a romance writer FMC who is well aware of the romance tropes that happen to her.

This book features tropes including only one tent, cuddling for body heat, fish out of water, a hot mountain man MMC, and a love triangle.

While miscommunication in romance books usually makes me want to throw the book (or my Kindle, in this case) across the room, this book does a great job of portraying healthy, adult handling of miscommunications. The main characters often work out their differences like mature adults and talk things out rather than letting petty issues get in their way, and I loved that.