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.

This book has a moose on the cover and that alone makes it a good book. The writing and story are also good. I am a sucker for the "I don't believe in happily ever after or love" and this book did not disappoint. If you enjoyed the Moose Springs series by Sarah Morganthaler or The Dead Romantics by Ashley Poston, check this one out as well!

Heartwarming, winter vibes. It took me a little longer than normal to get through, which makes me think maybe something is up with the pacing, but once I got though the first 10% I was hooked and couldn’t wait to pick it back up.

I found both of the main characters as well as the supporting cast to be well written and engaging. I love that even though (spoilers) there’s a 3rd act breakup, it’s truly a breakup over extenuating circumstances and both parties trying to do the right thing rather than a miscommunication or something blown out of proportion.

I really appreciated the idea behind the book, but I struggled to relate to the characters. It has great potential to be a warm and festive read, yet it didn't resonate with me.

I think this is a VERY strong debut! I loved Victoria's writing style and the concept was so great. It may just be me, but I struggled to connect and ship the characters. However, I had fun reading this and I genuinely feel like Victoria Lavine is a great writer and I look forward to seeing what she comes up with next!

Thank you so much to Atria Books for my ARC, I truly appreciate it!

3.5/5

I really really enjoyed everything about this book! I only wish the ending was a bit less abrupt. But I really loved the unique story and all the characters! The story is quite interesting and I loved the setting!

This was a cute book with lots of fun tropes (I mean, obviously… look at the title of the book). I liked that Margot and Forrest were both caregivers - I felt like it added a lot of depth to their characters and helped them connect on a deeper level. These two storylines played out really well and I liked how the book touched on how hard it is to be a caregiver for a loved one. In addition to being a caregiver for her sister, Margot was also a jaded romance writer who didn’t believe in love and recently had all her fans turn against her after they learned this fact. This storyline felt a little unrealistic to me. I had a hard time believing that everyone, including her publisher, would drop her for not believing in HEA, especially given how much everyone liked her books. I was willing to suspend my belief for the sake of the story, however.
Margot and Forrest’s relationship felt kind of rushed. They have a kind of “love at first sight” moment and then become “enemies to lovers”. I really did not feel the enemies vibes. It was, at best, forced dislike with a strong undercurrent of lust. They were both into each other but trying to stay away so it just didn’t feel like enemies to lovers to me.
There was a 2nd act (3rd act? 2.5th act?) argument that didn’t sit well with me. I felt like Margot was very impulsive and quick to turn on Forrest despite him giving her no reason to distrust him. This was easily resolved which almost made it worse because it showed how wishy washy Margot was. Then there was also a third act breakup that felt so rushed and didn’t really make me root for the characters. The resolution was enjoyable enough but I wanted more after it - I wanted a little more proof that the characters were going to work at their HEA.


Thank you to NetGalley and Atria for the ARC!

I am SHOOK that this is Victoria’s debut novel. This book had everything you want in a romcom and so much more. It had the sweet moments that made me want to scream, clutch my kindle to my chest & kick my feet. It had tenderness and portrayed this beautiful sibling bond between our FMC and her sister, and every single letter had me fully in tears. It also had every single one of my favorite tropes (hence the title) and they were all done SO well, and all called out in hilarious ways by our jaded romance author FMC.

I also, to no surprise, loved the grumpy, jaded FMC and how much she tried to fight her feelings for the adorable, sweet, helpful, hot doctor lumberjack all of the above MMC. The connection they built over the span of the book was truly magical and I just will never stop gushing over it.

Thank you to NetGalley & Atria Books for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!! <3

📖 Book Review 📖 It’s a well known fact up in Alaska that people who relocate up there from the lower 48 tend to be running from something in their past. When Margot’s successful writing career blows up in her faces when her fans discover that she doesn’t actually believe in Happily Ever Afters, she escapes/retreats to Alaska in an attempt to heal and jumpstart the next phase of her writing journey. What she doesn’t expect to find is a handsome doctor who is also in Alaska to find healing and wholeness after loss. Any Trope But You takes all the things we love about romance books (and there are so many) and magically transports it to the majestic wintry wonderland of Alaska. Victoria Lavine’s characters and plot are filled with depth and emotion that readers will relate to and wraps it up in a cozy, delightful read.

Thank you to NetGalley, Atria Books, and Simon & Schuster for my advanced copy of “Any Trope but You” from debut author Victoria Lavine.

In this charming novel, we are introduced to Margot, our main female character (MFC), and Forrest, the main male character (MMC), in a delightful grumpy x sunshine dynamic that will capture your heart. Margot experiences a major setback when a personal diary—meant only for her eyes—leaks and leads to her being “canceled.” Seeking refuge, she escapes to Alaska to reinvent herself and her writing, only to find herself entangled in a whirlwind of romantic tropes with the handsome Forrest. Despite her efforts to keep her heart guarded, the sparks fly as they navigate their very different lives.

The storyline is rich with humor and tension, as Margot and Forrest are forced to share both a tent and later a cabin, creating an abundance of banter and chemistry. The balance of the slow-burn romance is executed perfectly—not too slow to frustrate, yet not rushed, allowing readers to truly savor the buildup.

What struck me most was the depth of character development throughout the novel. Every character, not just our leads, is intricately crafted, making me eager to know more about each one. Lavine's vivid descriptions of the Alaskan landscape transported me back to my own trip, enhancing the overall reading experience.

Although I typically lean away from enemies-to-lovers tropes, “Any Trope but You” has won me over. If you’re a fan of meet-cute romances and two POV, this book should be at the top of your list for next year’s must-read romances. I will be recommending it to all my friends and family, and I will eagerly await Victoria Lavine’s future works.

Any Trope but You is a charming and heartfelt debut that checks all the boxes for a swoon-worthy romance while also offering so much more. Margot is a bestselling romance author struggling with her own personal heartbreak who embarks on a transformative journey to Alaska- and what follows is a fun blend of romance, humor, and emotional depth.

The chemistry between Margot and Forrest is off the charts! Their banter is witty and fun, and the slow-burn romance had me absolutely hooked. The tension builds beautifully and when they finally come together, it's electric. But beyond the sizzling romance, the way Lavine dives into the complexities of trust, love, and vulnerability is what truly makes this book stand out.

The theme of caregiving is especially poignant. Margot’s dedication to her chronically ill sister and Forrest’s devotion to his father add a layer of depth and emotion that I wasn't expecting but deeply appreciated. It’s refreshing to see these real, raw struggles portrayed with such care and respect, showing how love isn't always easy, but it's always worth fighting for.

The setting in remote Alaska is the perfect backdrop for this story. It adds a layer of isolation and intimacy that allows the characters to truly connect on a deeper level. And, of course, the romance tropes- yes, there are plenty- are used in playful and purposeful way that adds to the story's charm without feeling overdone.

The emotional payoff is huge, and I won’t lie, there were moments that had me laughing out loud and others that brought tears to my eyes. Any Trope but You is a beautiful love letter to romance readers, to the complexities of real-life love, and to the healing power of human connection. Margot and Forrest’s journey is one of self-discovery, growth, and finding love where you least expect it. This book has everything you want in a romance- heat, humor, and a whole lot of heartwarming moments. I highly recommend it to anyone looking for a sweet, steamy, and emotionally rich read. Without a doubt, I will be waiting for more from Victoria Lavine!

Margot Bradley is a romance writer who doesn’t believe in the happily ever after. Her careeer gets upended as she gets dropped by her publisher after a private file she had was leaked on social media. Her sister Savannah who has been her best friend and roommate sends her on a trip to Alaska to reinvent herself.

The location is remote with no Wi-Fi and no luxuries but offers plenty of outdoor adventures. Savanah is out of her comfort zone and her sister pushes her to embrace new things.

I laughed as the author included funny meet cute and every trope into this book and it was so heartfelt and endearing. Margot has had to overcome her bad relationships and when she meets Forrest she finally finds someone who sees her and understands her. They are both caretakers and care deeply for their families. They both learn so much from each other.

Margot grows and reinvents herself but only because of her sister.

I really loved this book. The main characters were enjoyable and had depth even through all of the cliche tropes which were anticipated based on the title alone. The side characters added to the story and were likable as well. Overall, it's one I would recommend to my friends. It was a quick read and I'd definitely add Victoria Lavine to my 'to-read' list from now on.

This book was super well written IMO, but maybe it’s just not my type of genre idk?? The book kicked off with some drama, which initially drew me in and had me hopeful I would be able to stay interested! But overall, the book felt a little sluggish and the characters didn’t feel like they ever developed a whole lot, making them hard to connect with. I almost just wished there was a little less detail about where she was, and more who she was.

3.5 ⭐️
This was a cute and fluffy romance book. I loved all the tropes it made the book so fun. The book was sweet but not my favorite. I loved Forrest. He is the perfect book boyfriend. I was not a huge fan of Margot. She was starting to get annoying. I understood why her character acted the way she did but it was a lot. I loved the side characters they made the story so entertaining. However I did find myself zoning out a lot while reading. It felt long and dragged out in the middle but then the ending felt rushed. I would have liked an epilogue to see what their future was like. Overall this was still a fun fluffy romance to read.
Thank you Netgalley and Atria Books for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.