Read if you like

*debut novels
*Alaska setting
*she’s a disgraced romance author
*he’s a doctor who’s helping his dad run their rental cabins
*grumpy and grumpier
*forced proximity
*slow burn
*laugh out loud funny

Are you ready for *all* the tropes? This debut novel is adorable - Forest and Margo are great MC’s. And this is so self aware and pure fun to read due to that awareness.

I didn’t love the ending (way too rushed) but I adored this debut. I will absolutely read Ms Lavine’s future works.



Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for the DRC

This book is GOOOOOOD. Like stay up until 1am, read in one sitting type good. And I am a mom of two, kindergarten teacher with a deployed husband so my sleep is precious to me if that says anything to you…

Margot Bradley is a best selling romance author who doesn’t believe in romance. After being let down by too many men in her life she has come to the conclusion that Happily Ever Afters are fictional, just like in the books she writes. When her romance writing career takes a nosedive and all her fans turn on her, she finds herself exiled (technically her sister planned/executed this trip for Margot) to a remote Alaskan lodge/resort. Margot is determined to put the romance writing behind her and churn out a murder mystery with her newfound abundance of time. She quickly finds herself distracted by the lodges caretaker, and owner's son, Forrest Wakefield. It’s almost as if he is literally every romance trope she is trying to distance herself from all wrapped up and tied with a well endowed bow 🤭😉. Acting upon their sexual attraction/tension would be a bad idea for soooo many reasons so they have to do their best to keep one another at bay…

Everything about this book was wonderful. The writing, the banter, the characters.. I literally found myself laughing loud and hard throughout the whole book. I finished it last night and have caught myself thinking about the characters and what they’re up to as if they are my actual friends. HUGE thank you to NetGalley, Atria Books and Victoria Lavine for an advanced reader copy of this book in exchange for my honest feedback. Friends, do yourselves a favor and read this book ASAP!

This was such a fantastic read! It’s left me kicking my feet, giggling and not wanting to put it down at all. I absolutely adore Forest, Margot and all of their tropes. The banter and chemistry was top notch! The perfect romcom when I needed a light read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria publishing for this ARC!

Margot is a bestselling romance author who doesn’t believe in HEAs. When a leak happens, we find Margot going through the wringer and her solution to it all is to run to Alaska to write a murder mystery. Forrest Wakefield is an ex doctor who is now a lodge owner and is a serious grump!

I wasn’t sure what to expect going into this one and honestly, this book was very self aware that it sometimes felt like satire. Margot was all over the place. Her internal monologue didn’t match her actions. As the story went on I couldn’t connect to her character and she annoyed me with a conflict arose and she didn’t take Forrest’s side or at least hear his side of the story first before even choosing a side. Forrest, however, was on her side, no questions asked, when a similar situation arose earlier. It made me question a lot about their relationship and just how solid it was.

The supporting characters were great! It was great seeing how all the tropes that were used came to fruition and worked within the story. I LOVE a story with an Alaskan setting so extra points for that!

Ok, everything about this was so stinking cute. Give me ALL THE TROPES! There are times I love me a good, fluffy Hallmark romcom, and other times they make me cringe so hard that I’m completely turned off from the entire genre for weeks (if not months) on end.

So as a mood reader, it’s important for me to know what I’m getting myself into. I like to set myself up for success, ya know? I must have read this at the exact right time because I loved everything about it from the beginning to the end (as rushed as it might have felt—give us more Margot & Forrest, PLEASE). I’m excited to read more of Victoria Lavine’s work and can’t believe this was her debut!

This book? Absolute romance gold. If you love all the tropes, this one packs them all in and still feels fresh, fun, and totally unique. I adored the main characters and was so invested in their story.
Seriously, save this one for a cozy winter weekend or a chilly day when you need something warm and fuzzy. It’s charming, witty, and had me grinning from start to finish. Highly recommend for your next comfort read!
Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

Margot Bradley, is a famous romance author who struggles to believe in the romance stories she writes, retreats to snowy Alaska to write a murder mystery but instead stumbles into a plot straight out of her own novels. Enter Forrest, the rugged resort owner who embodies every romantic cliché she’s ever written and of course he is quite the grump!

I thought that their chemistry was undeniable and once they got together you could just see how well they complimented one another. There’s humor, heartfelt moments, and the author did a great job exploring themes of love, family, and self-discovery. What I really loved most was the descriptive language around the picturesque Alaskan setting— it definitely added a cozy backdrop to the story. Lavine also did an amazing job with the authentic character development and emotional depth— overall it was a very good debut! While this was cute I simply wasn’t infatuated with it like many are so take my rating with a grain of salt— so many ppl loved it!

This book was a delight! I laughed and I definitely teared up multiple times and I was sad when it ended, but sighed contentedly because the ending was perfect! Margot and Forrest have an enemies to lovers vibe from the beginning, which is one of my favorites because it builds tension through the witty banter that ensues. The Alaskan setting and wilderness excursions are woven so perfectly into the story. Highly recommend this debut romance!
Thank you to Atria Books for the opportunity to read an early copy via NetGalley-all thoughts and opinions are my own.

A huge shoutout to Victoria on her debut book. 💖 What an amazing way to start! 🎉🎉🎉
I absolutely loved this story! It had so many of my favorite tropes all wrapped up in one, plus the chemistry between Forrest and Margot was undeniable. Their extreme adventures together made for such fun, heartfelt moments, as each time together slowly broke down their walls and they eventually learned to love again 💕

The Alaskan setting was written beautifully, and the plot kept me intrigued the whole way through. The supporting characters were such a great addition. I always feel like they can make or break a story, and this crew definitely made it. Plus, the letters from Margot’s sister were so sweet and encouraging! Such a beautiful touch. 💫

This book was such a great mix of romance, growth, and second chances. It’s all about picking yourself up, pushing through tough times, towards getting that happily ever after. Absolutely loved it!

5 stars

I absolutely loved this book. It honestly reminded me of an Abby Jimenez vs Katherine Center kind of storytelling with the many layers to each characters, excellent case of side characters, sizzling chemistry between the FMC and MMC, and some adorable animals of course! I am always a sucker for a grumpy-sunshine mixed with a little medicine (MMC is a doctor and there are 2 key side characters with important medical battles). The author gave a raw representation of some of the challenges that caregivers face when also balancing their careers, lives, and tough decisions they have to make. It also showed how much love can bring to a person's life. Life is always more fun when you have someone special to share it with. This book had so many fun tropes (snowed in...) included in fun ways (it did not feel like trope overload). I would definitely recommend picking up this book and diving in! Even though the cover is giving the winter vibes, this book can be enjoyed during any season!

I cannot wait to read Victoria Lavine's next book!

Any Trope But You by Victoria Lavine is one of my favorite books I read this year. I could not put this book down. It’s literally packed with all the tropes we love: enemies to lovers, forced proximity, snowed in, one bed…only it’s one tent instead!

Margot Bradley is a romance writer whose career gets canceled after being exposed during a live chat with her readers. She doesn’t believe in “happily ever after” and has a secret alternate “happily never” endings to all her books just for her. While doing a live chat, her alternate endings are leaked. Her fans are furious that she doesn’t believe in the books she writes, and Margot feels like her career is over. Her sister, who is also her biggest fan, sends her to Alaska to escape and try her hand at writing a new genre: mystery now that she feels she won’t be accepted in the romance community again.
Upon arrival, she literally jumps into the arms of Forrest Wakefield, who is chopping wood, as a moose approaches her. Forrest is actually a doctor, but he left his job to take care of his dad and help run the resort, which is why he is in the middle of nowhere, Alaska. There are two other groups of people staying who have visited before because they like how secluded it is (no Wi-Fi) and all the outdoor activities they can do as a group. Margot quickly realizes that she will have to take part in these activities that her sister had planned in advance.

Margot and Forrest perfectly fit the enemies to lovers trope as both have emotional wounds, including heartbreak while learning to trust again. Like I said, I couldn’t put this down, and this would be a book that I would reread again for all the feels. Very few books I’ve read more than once.

Margot is a romance writer who gets caught up in a little internet drama. Her sister sends her off to Alaska to find inspiration for her next book, a thriller.

Instead, she finds the grumpy Forrest who works at the nature retreat she’s staying in. I always love a “fish out of water” type story. And Margot was definitely out of her element! But with encouragement from her sister, she forced herself out of her comfort zone.

I loved the Alaskan setting in this one. Right away we get a hilarious encounter with a moose. This book was funny, yet so swoony. A perfect balance.

There’s just something so special about reading a romance book that involves a romance novelist who is living out her own romance dream! It’s all very meta but heart warming and charming. This book was truly a love letter to both romance readers and the entire community around romance novels, and I truly just ate it up. I loved the actual romance in the book. We have two adults who are age appropriate, who communicate, and are going through real life hard times being caregivers to chronicially ill people in their lives and find solace in each other? Yes, please! But, I also just loved how much the character of Margot felt indebted to the romance community and recognized how important these readers are to the book world as a whole. This was true even when she was going through hard times herself romantically and felt like she was an outsider and rebelled against her romance roots. This book is the epitome of what contemporary romance is! I just loved this book. I thought the entire concept was just so fun and so well done and I could not get enough. This is definitely in the top contender of my favorite romance book of the year so far! HIGHLY recommend to all readers who love a happily ever after.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for an advanced reading copy of this book. All opinions within this review are my own.

This book is another example of “Don’t let that cute cover fool you!”. By looking at this cover you would think this is just a cute romance and while it had a very entertaining story and the romance was so good, this book was on fire with the spice.

Margot and Forrest had instant chemistry and it was definitely a slow burn. It had some of my favorite tropes: enemies to lovers, forced proximity, and only one tent!

When the spice hit I couldn’t get enough. While it wasn’t super full of spice there were several open door scenes and they were placed just where they needed to be to add to the story.

More than the romance, this book was about finding oneself and the relationship between Margot and her sister. It definitely tugged at my heartstrings a few times and I caught myself tearing up. It was such a beautiful plot line.

I definitely look forward to more books from this author.

Any Trope But You by Victoria Lavine
Do you believe in Happily Ever Afters? I do... but could you imagine finding out that your favourite romance author doesn't??
This book pulled me in right from the start, l'm a huge romance/rom-com lover, and I was completely entranced by Margot and Forrest. Their initial guardedness, shaped by their respective responsibilities-Margot caring for her sister, Savannah, and Forrest looking after his father —added depth to their connection. The forced proximity trope worked well, drawing them together in a way that felt natural and heartfelt.
I loved the concept of Margot's "Happily Never After" file— it felt realistic and relatable, acknowledging that not everyone believes in fairy tale endings. I sure as hell did not, for a while. While the book started off strong and kept me engaged, I found some parts in the middle a bit slow, especially since I'm not a fan of the "will they, won't they" dynamic (because they better), or smut-heavy scene. However, the emotional weight behind their story kept me invested and rooting for both the FMC and MMC.
The ending, though sweet, felt a bit rushed. I would have liked a little more time for the resolution to unfold.
I would have loved more time with Margot and Forrest and the aftermath. That said, the overall message about love, trust, and letting go of fear was heartfelt and left me tearing up and satisfied. A fun, light read with just enough depth to make it memorable!

This book surprised me in all the best ways! I am normally not drawn to FMC that are jaded or feel sorry for themselves but Victoria was able to make Margot still very likable and even relatable. I loved how the different tropes kept popping up whenever Margot was referring to Forrest and how Forrest checked all of her "fictional" boxes while still being a real human being with flaws. Margot and Forrests relationship was definitely up and down as they tried to resist each other and hold each other an arms lengths away, but the chemistry never faltered! As Margot kept emphasizing throughout the book, Forrest was every romance readers dream and definitely checks all the boxes for an ultimate book boyfriend! I had so much fun reading this one and can't wait to see what Victoria Lavine publishes next!

Read if you like:
- Enemies to Lovers
- Only one tent
- Accidental Sauna run-in
- A friendly moose
- Outdoor Adventures

Margot is a romance writer who is cancelled when her Happily Never After endings are leaked. A retreat in Alaska with a handsome proprietor lead her to experience all the tropes she writes but never believed in.

This was a fresh take with lots of spice! As a romance fan, it was fun to see an author acknowledge the tropes in such a playful way. I enjoyed the emotional side that explored the real life demands of being a caretaker. The characters pulled you in for a thoughtful and thrilling ride.

Thank you Atria Books for providing a free ARC for review via NetGalley.

3.5 stars. The premise of this book was delightful—a cynical, canceled romance author goes to Alaska to write a murder mystery and instead meets the embodiment of a romance leading man, complete with all the tropes of a romance books.

The writing was very witty and funny, and I liked the characters. I loved that they both dealt with similar family situations that made their connection deeper and more believable. Some of the plot felt a little flimsy to me—the obstacles keeping the characters from happiness felt like common sense to surmount, and the characters did get there, but it took them a while. Granted, that is probably common in real life, too—sometimes we have to overcome our big emotions before we can take the sensible course of action—but it did cause me a little bit of frustration in the book. Still, an enjoyable read.

A love letter to romance novels. With all the tropes!
A meet cute... Snowed in a cabin... Grand gesture... What more do you need?

I received an advanced reader copy from NetGalley.

This was such a breath of fresh air! I loved how Rte author toed the line between lighthearted tropes and the characters serious back stories and growth.