Have I just found my favorite romance novel of the year?!

ANY TROPE BUT YOU was everything I want in my romcoms: it’s heartfelt, hilarious, spicy, swoony, AND sexy! I loved everything about this debut and I was devastated that it didn’t continue for 300 more pages.

Here we have a romance writer (who doesn’t believe in love) that escapes to Alaska to try her hand at writing a new genre and just so happens to fall for Mr. Perfect along the way. The synopsis might have you thinking, “been there, read that” but somehow every stereotypical romance trope this talented author throws at us feels totally fresh. The writing is witty and the banter is top tier. I adored both characters and if you’ll excuse me, I’m off to book myself a trip to Alaska!

There’s only one tiny problem with this gem and it’s the fact that it’s not out until 2025. I promise you it’s worth the wait!

PUB DAY: April 1st!
Thank you to @atriabooks and @victorialavinewrites for allowing me to be an early reader. All of this gushing praise is my own!!

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria books for the ARC! Any Trope but You was such a sweet, heartwarming romance and Margot and Forrest were both very lovable characters. The author also did a great job delving into the impact of familial relationships on romance. I look forward to seeing more from this author!

4/5⭐

Any Trope But You was exactly what I was hoping for when I read the blurb.

The concept of a book about a romance author trying to come back from her career being "cancelled" & trying to reinvent herself could have easily been done in a way that was not enjoyable but Victoria did it perfectly. This book has you reading way to late into the night because you simply can't put it down. I finished this book in 2 days because I had to know what was going on. It would have been quicker but unfortunately work got in the way.

The enemies to lovers trope being one of the main tropes in this novel was perfect to me. It fit not only the novel but it is one of my favorite tropes. Everything about Margot & Forest was perfect in the most not perfect way. From their "meet cute" until the very end.

I can hardly wait for everyone to get a chance to read this novel & to share my favorite quotes it.

Here is a romance story written by a romance writer ! This romance Author has a long buried secret:
She does not believe in, ‘Happily ever after.’ And this is the type of secret that should have never
escaped Margot Bradley’s hidden safe. This ‘accident,’ leads Margot and everyone in her world to
try to do damage control before Margot loses her fans~nobody wants to read romance stories
that do not have a happy ending, but this goes global immediately.’
The adventure, including Margot’s sister who has health problems, becomes back woods
fun and some possible romance for both Margot and her sister, and the activities are just
calamitous and hilarious. Best not to have too many details prior to starting the book.
It seems totally appropriate for this book to be released on 1 April . The adventures
abound here and nobody will be disappointed.
My thanks to Atria Books via Net Galley for the download copy of the book for review purposes.

I adored the premise of this one: Romance author Margot Bradley escapes to a secluded Alaskan lodge after being “cancelled” by her fans- only to find herself living out every romance trope she’s ever written. 💙

I was totally smitten with the remote wilderness setting, the sweet cast of characters, and the absolutely swoon-worthy chemistry with the “every romance cliché” love interest Dr. Forrest.

This one absolutely receives a big five stars from me!
It had beautiful family moments between Margot & her sister, and Forrest & his dad. There were laugh-out-loud mishaps & witty banter. It had alllllllll the romance tropes you love, totally thrown in the face of our MC romance writer! And it was finished off with the sweetest, most perfect ending. 💙

Well done, to this debut author!

I really loved this book! I truly don’t have a single critique. The characters were lovable, relatable, and not at all frustrating (as I find they sometimes can be in this type of novel). The Alaskan setting was just perfect; I could feel like icy winds, see the cabin lights glowing in the dark, feel the warm fires, see the sunsets… and Bullwinkle! He was my favorite. Who knew a wild moose could have such an impact on a story line? The spice was just perfect; not too much, but also didn’t leave me wanting. I truly enjoyed experiencing Margot and Forrest from start to finish. The tie in of the family love stories as well was so beautifully done; I shed a few tears! For me, this checked all the boxes. I can’t wait to own a physical copy to treasure forever.

4 stars!! Such a fun and cozy winter read! Absolutely loved how the book leaned into classic romance tropes in a really fun way! Some of the book dragged for me a bit but overall such a fun read.

I thought this was such a cute holiday read! I love the way the two main characters started out and eventually got together. I love starting my cozy holiday reads early so I’m fully in the spirit. This is my first book by this author but I really enjoyed it!
Thank you Netgalley for the arc!

***Trigger Warning: mention of cancer***

Any Trope but You follows Margot Bradley is a best selling romance author. But she doesn’t really believe in romance. She secretly writes alternative endings for her characters where they don’t get a happy ever after. When that document gets released to the public her career is basically over. Her sister books a trip for Margot to go to Alaska for 6 weeks to get a fresh start. Margot agrees and think this will be time for her to dabble in a different genre. She wants to write a murder mystery. Forrest runs the inn where Margot is staying. He can tell Margot is a fish out of water. He wants nothing to do with her at first. But soon they both might be attracted to each other.

I thought this book was cute. I have read books with a very similar plot, so I don’t think this was that original. But I loved the setting of the book. I also thought that Margot and Forrest were a really cute couple. Overall it wasn’t bad and I did enjoy it. However, I don’t think this is a book that I will go back and reread.

Thank you so much, Victoria Lavine, Atria Books, and NetGalley for the ARC of this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria for the ARC. Any Trope But You is Victoria Lavine’s first book, and I will happily pick up her next one. Definitely gives Abby Jimenez/Ali Hazwood/Emily Henry vibes. The plot concept is a clever way to play up common tropes we all know and love. It did take me some time to get invested in Margot and Forrest, but they were well written and had some really great scenes together. The cast of characters were adorable, the setting was fun, and the story arc had some depth to it. Recommend!

Margot is a bestselling romance author. She is in a wrong slump because her fiance left her shortly before their wedding. She is angry and keeps an anti-romance manuscript on her computer which is then leaked and she is “canceled.” In order to break her block, her loving sister Savannah sends her to a very remote cabin in Alaska. She is picked up at the airport by Forrest, who is in AK to take care of his ailing father although he is a doctor from Los Angeles who works for a worthy cause. Sparks fly!

I liked this book, I didn’t love it. I liked the idea of adding in as many tropes as possible- honestly too many to mention- and it is a romance book about romance books. Some of them didn’t seem to fit the narrative but overall it was a cute story in a unique setting. The descriptions made me homesick for snow. The quiet of it and the propensity to stay jndoors.

I can’t imagine anyone “canceling” a romance author over this- if it came out that Emily Henry or Abby Jimenez went through a terrible divorce/break up and started writing anti-romance, I think most romance fans would be a bit excited at the prospect of our favorite author being single and the resulting potential future inspiration.

Thanks to NetGalley and Atria books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. Book to be published April 1, 2025.

WOW. Any Trope But You, by debut author Victoria Lavine, blew me away! This book had me laughing out loud the entire freaking time! No lie I laughed at least once in every chapter. I truly loved every minute, so THANK YOU x1000 to Atria for sending it my way.

The meet cute was the first of many tropes that were touched on, as described by the title. I loved how Lavine used each trope for a blunder/lol moment while none of them truly took over the plotline. If that had happened, the story would have felt overdone or cliche. Instead, she used her heroine's voice as a romance author to make a joke every time one was brought to light and they made for the best jokes. It felt fresh and clever and I loved the whole angle!

The characters were also just a blast to read. I loved the invisible string that connected them both to their lives outside of Alaska, and it was so much fun to read and speculate as to how they were going to go the distance. I loved Margot's fish out of water moments, and the vulnerable moments we got from Forrest. I loved his character so much, I loved how he came off strong and gruff but was a true teddy bear! I loved how he challenged Margot and REALLY loved how she showed up, proving him wrong and being so much more than he imagined her to be. I loved how we got her inner dialogue and knew how attracted she was to him from the beginning, which made the interactions between them so much fun to read!!

Overall, this is a must read. I am 100% telling every person to buy it and hoping my book club picks it to read because I think they would adore it. It has so much content without being overwhelming, is the perfect length and makes you feel all the things. I just thought it was perfect. PERFECT.

Any Trope but You by Victoria Lavine completely captivated me from the very first page! As someone who indulges in romantic comedies as a guilty pleasure, I found this 5-star gem to be a shining example of the genre’s charm. The humor was plentiful throughout the story, bringing a smile to my face and making me chuckle out loud more times than I can count.

What truly stood out was the electric chemistry between the main characters; their interactions felt genuine and relatable, making me root for them even more. The witty banter was perfectly balanced with tender moments that tugged at my heartstrings, leaving a lasting emotional impact.

It's hard to believe that this is Victoria Lavine's first novel—she possesses a remarkable ability to weave romance with vivid detail and effortless storytelling, much like a seasoned veteran. Her relatable characters and engaging plot kept me invested from start to finish. I am genuinely eager to see what she comes out with next! For anyone looking for an escape into a well-crafted romance that combines laughter, chemistry, and heartfelt sentiment, I highly recommend Any Trope but You!

A skeptical romance writer who doesn't believe in happily ever afters? What could go wrong? When author Margot's secret "Happily Never After" file is exposed by a hacker, her readers and fans turn on her. Margot's sister sends her on a 6 week trip to a remote wilderness camp in Alaska (in late fall/early winter no less), to give her time to recover and write her next novel in a completely different genre - a murder mystery. What she didn't anticipate was meeting Forrest, the son of the resort owner - and how the two of them would literally hit just about every romance trope out there. Enemies to lovers - check. Snowed in - check. Compassionate doctor - check. Family turmoil - check. All we needed was to find out he was the long lost descendant of a royal family somewhere.

What I loved most was the author's ability to gently poke fun at the tropes in the romance genre, in a book that is essentially a love letter to romance novels and happily ever afters. But beyond the romance love, interwoven is also an excellent exploration of love of family - and love of self.

Margot and Forrest were very well written - and their chemistry sizzled on the page. The supporting characters were excellent, helping strengthen Margot and Forrest as characters.

Overall, I absolutely loved this book and can't wait to read Lavine's next work.

❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

Romance writer, Margot is undergoing an identity crisis when she doesn’t believe in her own Happily Ever Afters that she writes. Her sister send her on a 6 week writing retreat to Alaska where she promptly meets lodge owner/doctor that embodies all of her romance heroes from her own book. She feels like she’s being whacked over the head with trope after trope that she would find in romance novels. The story and premise are cute. The love story/accident prone Margot is cute too. Forrest (the doctor/lodge owner MMC) is very likeable. The problems I had with the book is Margot is all over the place with her attitude and personality. I know she is having an identity crisis, but it is off putting just how mean she is to Forrest for no reason when they first meet. In Forrest’s POV he’s having similar issues dealing with his attraction to Margot but is still kind and welcoming to her. The mutual pining is great and overall I enjoyed this rom-com even with the issues I had with the FMC.

Thank you NetGalley, Victoria Lavine, and Atria books for an advanced digital copy of this book.

For fans of Tessa Bailey as well as those who enjoy shows such as Schitt's Creek. The antics of being forced to spend time in a remote, unfamiliar local all while (literally) experiencing every romance trope under the sun. This one was enjoyable and lighthearted, overall. It's spicy - don't say I didn't warn you!

The idea is entertaining, novel, and humorous. Margot's emotional recovery and self-discovery journey is endearing and humorous. This had depth, was adorable, and had a great setting! This book is now on my list of books I hope to see in 2025, and I will definitely be hankering after a hard copy. how is this a debut? so good!

A fascinating and well-paced read, blending vivid storytelling with powerful insights. Highly engaging and memorable.

This book is a love letter to love and trust in so many different form. It’s about romantic love and learning to trust again after betrayal and heartbreak. It’s about love among family and trusting each other to make choices and actions that exude that love even when it’s hard to let go. Maybe most importantly, it’s about learning to love and trust in yourself and believe you’re capable of navigating hard things and coming out in a better place than where you started. It’s about giving yourself grace because making mistakes or changing course doesn’t mean giving up or failing.

Margot is a character who would be so easy to judge on the surface level, much like Forrest does when he first meets her. She is so much deeper than anyone meeting her public persona could know. The way she loves and cares for her sister, the way she puts HEAs out into the world when she’s repeatedly experienced only HNAs (happily NEVER afters), the way she pushes herself outside her comfort zone in Alaska. She is strength and resilience and bravery. She regularly doubts herself and feels jaded but continues moving forward. I admired her so much.

Forrest is a complex character in his own right, and far more similar to Margot than he is different when it comes to the heart. He’s experienced loss and heartbreak of his own, and he has used it to fuel the choices he makes in life. He is the kind of man who faces his mistakes, tries to right what he perceives are his wrongs, and he is doing what he believes in his core is his best. He and Margot may butt heads often, but they both find an understanding in each other that not very many others could grasp. The decisions they have to face for their future, both together and individually, have parallels that require a deep look at all the forms of love I laid out at the beginning of this review.

I can’t move on from this without mentioning how much I also adore Savannah. Really, Savannah and Trapper both as Margot and Forrest’s familial counterparts, but Savannah’s letters are so integral to understanding who Margot is and add so much to the story. (Plus she is a fellow Swiftie and that always gets my love.)

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for the eARC in exchange for an honest review. This was a stellar debut and I can’t wait to read more from Victoria Lavine.

I wish I could hire a sky writer and just say OMG VICTORIA.

Loved it. From LA to Alaska. From North Star to Anchorage. Times infinity.

I knew this was my kinda book by the description so I knew I would like this — I just didn’t know I would LOVE this book. It was so tongue in cheek about the tropes and HEAs, so SWOONY and very deeply developed main (and side) characters. Hilarious and heartbreaking within one breath. Really crafty mechanisms for exposition and plot advancements.

Margot and Forrest have so much well written chemistry and sexual tension, it’s radiating through the pages. Her fierce love for Van, his love for his dad…both equally as evident.

Just great work all around 💖💖💖💖💖

Thank you to Atria and NetGalley for the advance reader copy of Any Trope But You by Victoria Lavine!