⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨ (4.5 stars)

Move over, rom-coms—Victoria Lavine’s Any Trope but You just redefined the genre for me! This laugh-out-loud, heartfelt debut has everything: a romance writer questioning Happily Ever Afters, a moose-related mishap, and one too-handsome-to-be-real Alaskan resort proprietor. Seriously, what’s not to love?

Margot Bradley is a bestselling romance author who secretly writes Happily Never Afters—and when her alternate endings are leaked, her career implodes in the most dramatic way possible. Enter Alaska, where Margot plans to trade meet-cutes for murder mysteries at a remote resort. What she doesn’t plan for? Running straight into Dr. Forrest Wakefield, a brooding former cancer researcher turned reluctant resort manager. He’s rugged, emotionally unavailable, and utterly swoon-worthy. Cue the tropes, and let the sparks fly.

What makes this book such a standout is how Lavine lovingly pokes fun at romance clichés while delivering a story that feels completely fresh. Margot and Forrest’s banter is sharp and genuine, their chemistry undeniable, and the layers of vulnerability they slowly reveal are just chef’s kiss. Both characters are carrying heavy emotional baggage—Margot’s fear of failure and Forrest’s reluctance to let someone in again—and their journey to healing is beautifully woven into the snowy, magical setting.

Speaking of Alaska, the setting is practically a character itself. Lavine’s descriptions of the icy wilderness, the quirky resort staff, and even that moose (yes, the moose deserves its own shoutout) brought the story to life in such a vivid way, I could almost feel the chill in the air.

Thank you to Victoria Lavine, Atria Books, and NetGalley for giving me the chance to fall head over heels for this incredible debut. If you’re a fan of romance that balances humor, heart, and just the right amount of emotional depth, Any Trope but You is a must-read.

This debut was awesome! Very compelling characters with lots of depth. Their meet cute was adorable. So many tropes can be found in this book, but it is far from stale or cliche. Great story and great character development.

Victoria Lavine’s *Any Trope but You* is an irresistible blend of wit, heart, and romantic chaos, offering a meta love story that pokes fun at every rom-com cliché while embracing them with earnest charm. With its captivating Alaskan setting, layered characters, and a story that’s as hilarious as it is heartfelt, Lavine’s debut is a fresh and spectacular addition to the romance genre.

Margot Bradley is not your typical romance heroine. A beloved author with a secret disdain for Happily Ever Afters, her life unravels when her "Happily Never After" alternate endings go viral, and she’s canceled by fans and publishers alike. Margot’s snarky edge and relatable flaws make her a refreshing protagonist, and her plan to reinvent herself as a murder mystery author seems almost plausible—until her sister ships her off to a remote Alaskan resort, where she stumbles straight into a rom-com plot instead.

Enter Dr. Forrest Wakefield, the grumpy yet ruggedly handsome resort proprietor who left a prestigious career to care for his ailing father. Forrest is the perfect foil to Margot’s skepticism, with his stoic demeanor, puzzle-solving mind, and a soft side he keeps hidden under layers of practicality and flannel. Their first meeting—complete with a moose-induced leap into his arms—is laugh-out-loud funny, setting the tone for a series of trope-filled misadventures that will leave romance lovers grinning.

Lavine’s writing is sharp and self-aware, packed with clever nods to classic romantic tropes that Margot begrudgingly finds herself living out. From the grumpy/sunshine dynamic to forced proximity and snowed-in hijinks, each moment is delivered with a wink to the genre while still packing genuine emotional depth. Margot’s inner battle between embracing love and protecting herself from disappointment is beautifully mirrored by Forrest’s reluctance to open his heart again.

The Alaskan setting is brought to life with vivid detail, from the breathtaking snowy landscapes to the cozy charm of the resort itself. It’s the perfect backdrop for Margot’s reluctant self-discovery and her growing connection with Forrest, and Lavine uses the setting to enhance both the humor and the romance.

What sets *Any Trope but You* apart is its balance of humor and vulnerability. Margot’s journey isn’t just about falling in love—it’s about rediscovering hope, embracing imperfection, and learning that Happily Ever Afters come in many forms. Forrest’s struggles with loss and his sense of duty add depth to his character, making their eventual connection feel authentic and deeply earned.

The pacing is spot-on, with plenty of laugh-out-loud moments, simmering romantic tension, and introspective beats that give the characters room to grow. Supporting characters, from Margot’s sister Savannah to the quirky resort staff, add warmth and levity without overshadowing the central romance.

*Any Trope but You* is a love letter to romance itself—both the genre and the unpredictable messiness of real-life connections. Victoria Lavine has crafted a debut that’s equal parts funny, heartfelt, and swoon-worthy, reminding readers why we keep rooting for love, even when it feels impossible. Five stars for this hilarious, self-aware, and utterly delightful story that will leave you smiling long after the final page.

Any Trope But You felt like the best immersion into a book I’ve had in a long time. From the first page, I found myself living in the pages, vividly picturing the characters and each tiny detail written by @victorialavinewrites. She masterfully blends character development and growth with the most tender and heartwarming romance. I loved being able to read and follow Margot’s personal journey as she grappled with past wounds and her present struggles.

The relationship between Forrest and Margot is full of chemistry but never feels rushed or forced. It is clear that both characters are their own people with their own journeys and that makes their connection feel so much more genuine and meaningful.

Lavine truly did a phenomenal job of making her written world come alive. I felt invested in the characters’ joys and struggles and could not put this one down. The moment I read the last word, I found myself grieving the end of a truly great novel. Run, don’t walk, when this one hits the shelves.

Thank you to @netgalley for the ARC

Okay, loveddddd this one! It had all the tropes talked about in the title with just rhe right amount of surprise. We are romance readers so we know what’s going to happen but I just loved their story. Throw in some remote Alaskan lodge and I’m sold!

Margot is a writer who doesn’t believe in HEA. So, after every book she writes she actually has a Happily Never After ending. That gets out and she gets canceled. Her sister sends her to Alaska and she meets Forrest in the forest. He happens to be all the tropes and tada a magical book I absolutely loved! Guys!!! So freaking cute! I was so obsessed with this one!!

The romance genre is full of authors who, at their core, are just writing about love. It seems so simple, yet it is often hard to do so in an endearing and not too cheesy way.

This debut from Victoria Lavine is a masterful debut. It's also an ode to romance writers and readers, which I loved. She leans into the world of tropes, almost as if breaking the fourth wall. Our main character Margot acknowledging, "Yeah, there is only one bed" was funny, amongst all the other tropes as well. The book follows Margot, a romance author, as she heads to remote Alaska for six weeks to research her next book after suffering a PR scandal. There, she, of course, meets a ruggedly handsome man and sees the tropes she writes about come to life.

AND IT'S A DUAL POV!!! I feel like dual POV's aren't as easy to find nowadays, which is a shame, because getting to read from the love interest's point of view is such a treat.

I was tempted to give this 4.5 stars because there is a third-act breakup, which I don't like. However, I think it actually does work for the context of this story.

This was a delightful, romantic, funny, entertaining story!!

Thank you, Netgalley and Atria books for the opportunity to ARC read this book!

If you want a cutesy rom-com that is set in a winter wonderland but isn't all out Christmas, this is perfect for you!

The book follows Margot, a jade romance author struggling with imposter syndrome. She faces a major media storm after her files are hacked and released to the public. With this. Her sister sends her to an Alaskan retreat of sorts for Margot to figure out a new genre of books and for her to get her manuscript done.

What this Alaskan resort lacks in wifi makes up in an attractive man. Margot is trying to avoid all romance, trying to dig into the mystery genre, but what actually happens is that this woman faces every trope she's written in real life with a man named Forrest... who is a doctor, taking care of his father, who owns the resort... it doesn't end there. Forrest is a doctor who is researching the cancer that took his mother. (SWOON)

Forrest and Margot have their own hilarious meet-cute, face forced proximity, where "a one bed trope is downgraded to a one tent trope" (I died reading this).

This book was a fluffy rom-com that hit the spot for me, I had fun reading the book and investing in the characters! The side characters were a lot of fun to meet and get to know.

Any Trope But You has a lot going for it and I think romance lovers will eat it up.

The writing is strong, the MMC is swoony, there's snappy dialogue with fun banter, not to mention an epic Alaskan setting. I will say that the MC chemistry felt forced in the first half, like they hadn't earned the level of familiarity they were expressing. Still, it didn't deter me from finishing or enjoying this read. (I do think the title is dumb....but the cover art is what hooked me.)

Its cute. It's ok writing and the plot is fine. I was not invested in the characters as much. Its an ok holiday story

4 stars for this cozy contemporary romance that had me laughing and smiling the whole way through! The FMC felt very relatable despite being a successful author, and I absolutely adored the fact that she felt like a book reading, Taylor Swift loving friend that we all have in our lives. Her and Forrest's journeys of feeling solely responsible as a caretaker for their respective family members are going to resonate with a LOT of people. I also liked the pacing, and felt the story never dragged on unnecessarily. Well done! Thank you to Atria Books and Victoria Lavine for allowing me to be an ARC reader!

Any Trope But You follows a romance author to Alaska after a professional fiasco. Margot experiences trope after trope with a hot Alaskan man, but there's one problem - she swore off love. I loved the banter, the setting, the family relationships, and the MMC so much. I did find the dirty talk a littleeee much at the end, but that is just personal preference. Overall this was a wonderful debut by Victoria Lavine, and I will be on the lookout for any future novels!

I received an ARC from Atria Books via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

5 stars, no notes. I absolutely loved this novel and stayed up LATE LATE to finish it. The setting, the plot, the play on romance as a genre I absolutely loved. I truly felt immersed in the Alaskan bush, hiking behind the hottie MMC who checks every box you could imagine. The relationship between our FMC, a romance writer, and her sister with a chronic illness was so wonderfully depicted it felt real. The complexity of being a caretaker of a family member while also juggling your own life was very much a common subplot that kept the book developing and added some complexity. Loved.

goodness, i fricken LOVEDDD this book.
Margot Bradley is an established romance author, known for her beautiful happy endings. When it comes out publicly that she actually doesn’t believe in the happily ever afters that her readers love so much, her reputation falls to shambles. To help her get back on her feet, her sister sends her to Alaska for 6 weeks to push her out of her comfort zone. Enter, Forrest Wakefield. The embodiment of every single romance trope that Margot has ever written about. No matter how hard Margot tries to run away from romance, Forrest pulls her right back in. Is he the answer to HER happily ever after?

There’s so many things to love about Victoria Lavines debut novel. For one, the chemistry between the two characters. Slow burn with tension??? Amazing.
If you’re a Swiftie (which i most definitely am), you’re going to adore the Taylor Swift references. I know I did.
Savannah’s letters? I had literal tears in my eyes at the love the two sisters had for one another. The belief in each other, the support.
As Savannah told Margot, “Your books bring joy and escape to all your readers.” Victoria Lavine, you have done just that. I’ll consider this an absolute must read of 2025.

This was such a fun read!! Who doesn’t want to read a book about a romance author who got cancelled cause she doesn’t believe in HEAs and ends up in her very own romance book plot complete with all the tropes and the perfect grumpy hero?

First off, after visiting Alaska (and wanting to go back) I love books set in Alaska and make it set in a remote lodge and have the couple get snowed in? Sign me up! From the adorable meet cute involving a moose and the hero chopping wood and all the other tropes we as romance readers love in between this book is a love letter to all of us and the hope and joy romance books bring.

Margot and Forrest are so different yet so alike in many ways and it just made the start of their enemies to lovers arc all that more fun. Every trope they experienced and adventure they went on just proved how much the two of them were meant to be but they definitely needed that push to get there. They helped each other find a piece of themselves they left behind a long time ago through the understanding of why they did and found hope in a future where they could have it all and have their own HEA.



Thank you publishers and netgalley for this eARC in exchange for my honest feedback

If you know me at all, I enjoy reading romance books but it takes a lot for me to give them a 5 ⭐️. However, there was no question in my mind that's the rating I was going to give Any Trope But You.

This is basically a love letter to all the romance readers out there. It's about Margot, a romance author who has not necessarily lived an easy life, and through the years have slowly lost faith in Happily Ever After. In an attempt to find herself and get some time away from the media after a recent scandal, she was sent off to a remote Alaskan lodge by her sister. During this time, she grapples with her own beliefs about love while at the same time being put in situations over and over again that can only be described as tropes in romance that she does not believe in. Forrest is the son of the owner of the lodge that Margot stayed in. He has given up his career to take care of his father who is recuperating from an accident. It's honestly hard to not love him the more you get to know about him.

Any Trope but You touches on some very important topics in social media - cancel culture - and how we as a society try to box people. It's a great reminder that we all have lived experiences and to have compassion for others. I definitely recommend reading this debut novel by Victoria Lavine.

I received an ARC of this book through NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

This was everything I wanted it to be and more! Any Trope But You is so special to me because I feel like it found me at exactly the right time. I didn’t expect to relate to certain aspects of Margot or Forrest’s personal lives as much as I did so I was left in tears on multiple occasions because I felt so seen. By the end of the book, I had a tear-stained face and a heart filled with hope 🤍❄️🪵🌲

Any Trope But You gave me all the warm, fuzzy, heartwarming feelings you want in a cozy romance book. It also might be the funniest book I’ve ever read. I nearly spat out my hot chocolate on multiple occasions because I was laughing so hard 😂

I absolutely loved both Margot and Forrest as individuals and as a couple 🥹 The banter, the comfort they provided each other, the playfulness, the adoration, the spice. It was everything. I also adored the side characters! Margot’s relationship with her sister made me wish I had a sister of my own. And I absolutely loved Forrest’s dad! The way him and Jo teased Forrest had me HOWLING.

This was such a beautiful debut novel about selflessness, the importance of family, resilience, love, and hope. I’ll be thinking of this book for a long time.

I only wish the pub date was sooner so more readers could read this during the winter! I think it’d do so well during the holiday season.

Thanks so much for the arc!

Thank you #NetGalley & #AtriaBooks for an arc of Any Trope but You in exchange for an honest review.

🔖 You’ll want to save the date!

✨𝓝𝓮𝔀 𝓑𝓸𝓸𝓴 𝓡𝓮𝓿𝓲𝓮𝔀✨
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
𝑻𝒊𝒕𝒍𝒆: Any Trope but You
𝑨𝒖𝒕𝒉𝒐𝒓: Victoria Lavine
𝑷𝒖𝒃𝒍𝒊𝒔𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝑫𝒂𝒕𝒆: April 1, 2025
𝑷𝒂𝒈𝒆𝒔: 336 pages

✔️ Dual POVs
✔️ Alaska setting
✔️ Abundance of tropes
✔️ Close family connections
✔️ All the feels

From a hilarious meet-cute, to a lovely grand gesture, and all the tropes in between… this book was the perfect homage to romance. Lavine fit them in and honored them so well. I loved the hope she brought through in her writing and am so surprised this was a debut.

If you enjoy Emily Henry, Abby Jimenez, or Jessica Joyce then I think you’ll enjoy this one too!

This book was incredible! I loved it. It was cute, cozy, and spicy. I enjoyed the “fish out of water” and “enemies to lovers” elements of this very much! Forrest is my new favorite book boyfriend :). I enjoyed the chronic illness and caregiver representation and how the FMC’s sister pushed back to find her own way in life despite her challenges. So enjoyed this read!!

Any Trope but You was a great cold weather read, and the title hooked me into applying for an ARC. I’ve been on a streak of trying to get through books that haven’t really interested me and DNFs, but this one picked up quickly and kept my interest. It was a sweet read with a heart of gold, and definitely made me want to read more from this author! Once I started reading, I had a hard time putting it down!

I initially and still do have a bit of a problem with the premise of Margot’s professional downfall. I don’t think a document leaking with “unhappily ever afters” would blow up the romance book fandom in the way that it is portrayed here. The concept of fanfiction and the understanding of basic human decency would make a devoted audience more sympathetic to the author (or so I’d like to believe). However, romance readers love a book about romance authors!

It was fun reading about all of the classic romance tropes that played into Margot and Forrest’s story, especially since they are both aware and calling them out as they happen. It’s literally my dream come true. Also, I loved all the Taylor Swift references. Both Margot and Forrest’s lives as caregivers were relatable and brought a grounded nature to a romance novel. A self aware FMC and a couple who love each other flaws and all? What more could I ask for.

Overall, this was a great romance book which I would definitely recommend to anyone looking for a fun spicy romance. I look forward to reading more from Victoria Lavine!

Romance writer, Margot Bradley, has been cancelled by her readers for not believing in happily ever afters and her career comes to a screeching halt. Her sister, Savannah, decides this is the perfect time to send Margot on a trip to Alaska to get out of her comfort zone and write her first murder mystery. Upon arriving in Alaska, Margot literally jumps straight into the arms of Forest, the epitome of every trope she's ever wrote about. Could Forest finally be Margot's happily ever after?

I believe I've found my new favorite romance author. Funny, heartfelt and a bit spicy, Any Trope but You checked all the boxes for me. Excited to read more from this author!

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC in exchange for my review.