A beautiful romance where the characters have depth and the FMC along with the MMC are helped along their growth journeys by those very loved ones that they insist they must care for. Some things to note- this is not an enemies to lovers, there are chronically ill characters along with some discussions of caring for an ill loved one, the big C is mentioned more than once, the supporting characters shine and show more than just a diagnosis, and lastly this is set in Alaska during the winter. If this sounds like a good time that’s because it is great time! Go check it out!

# Any Trope but You
# 4/22/2025 ~ 4/23/2025
# 5.0 / 5.0

Any Trope But You is a book that I never wanted to end. I loved it so much. It's my first book by Victoria Lavine, but she is now a must read for me. Margot is a bestselling romance writer whose fans love her. She's very successful and her fans interact with Margot regularly. Margot writes books about characters finding their happily ever after. The problem is that Margot doesn't believe in happily ever after herself. She has been heartbroken since her father left when she was a young child. Her latest boyfriend, Adam, left one week before the wedding. Margot has good reasons to not believe in her happily ever after. People keep leaving her. She decides to make a list of happily never after things she believes. This list was never supposed to be seen by anyone but her. Unfortunately, someone hacked into her computer and found the list. They then shared the list on social media and Margot was cancelled. Her fans were angry and heartbroken. Margot's publisher wasn't sure if they would keep her on.

Margot is a caregiver for her sister who has an autoimmune disease. Her life revolves around Savannah's medicine schedule, appointments, therapy, etc. Margot doesn't have time to think about herself, especially not her love life. Savannah secretly buys a ticket for Margot to Alaska. She's going to stay at a lodge for 6 weeks to get her head straight. Little does Margot know that the lodge she's staying in has no wifi. No access to social media at all. She can write her next book in peace, whatever genre she chooses. Margot thinks she's done with romance novels as her fans are so angry they would never buy another one by her. Savannah has a deal with a man at the lodge, to give Margot a letter she's written her, once a week.
Margot thinks she's going to a resort and has no idea how remote the place is going to be.

When Margot arrives at the lodge she ends up running into the arms of a very good looking man. She's running from a moose that she's mistaken for a bear! The man who catches her is Forest Wakefield. His father and stepmom own the lodge. Forest is a doctor who researches breast cancer., specifically the kind of breast cancer that killed his mother. He lived in Los Angeles, like Margot, until his father was in an accident and needed help.
Forest and Margot go out of their way to stay away from each other as their chemistry is undeniable. Forest knows she's leaving in 6 weeks and can't lose anyone else even though he's attracted to Margot. Margot can't get close to a man after she's been left too many times. As hard as they try, they are forced together on excursions from the lodge.

Will Forest and Margot be able to stay away from each other? Will Margot be able to write a new book? Will it be a romance or something else? Will someone publish her book if she does write it? Will Margot's sister be okay without her for 6 weeks? Will Forest be happy to forget his life and continue to care for his father? This book has it all and the closer I got to the end the slower I read. I wanted it to last longer! Any Trope But You is a fantastic book that I rate 5 stars with my highest recommendation. I'd like to thank NetGalley and Atria Books for an advanced copy of Any Trope But You in exchange for a fair review. The book is available now and should not be missed! #AnyTropeButYou

Thank you Net Galley for the ARC. I loved this book so much!!! I loved that Margot didn't believe in happy endings but still gave her readers what they wanted, but after being exposed I think Alaska was what she needed. I loved how her and Forest were enemies to lovers and she even mentioned this is a trope in my book. And I loved how he even read her books to understand her was just perfect! Great book and great ending!

3.5 stars! Thank you to NetGalley & Atria Books for the ARC.

This take on a romance novel was so refreshing. Margot is a bestselling romance author who doesn’t believe in HEAs. When she’s exposed, her career goes off the rails, and her sister sends her to a remote lodge in Alaska to reset and find herself. What she finds is Forrest, a stereotypical book boyfriend brought to life. Or so she thinks.

After weeks of fighting their attraction, they finally give in. But all is not what it seems, and their HEA is left in question. Will they get to be together?

I dare you to read this and not root for Margot and Forrest. Tropes abound in this book, but that’s the point! It was delightful and fun, and I think this was a really strong debut for Victoria Lavine.

4.5 STARS ⭐

Any Trope but You by Victoria Lavine's was a sweet romance with literally every trope under the sun!

Margot Bradley is a beloved romance author who has been cancelled after her personal 'Happily Never After' document was hacked and shared publicly. With her writing career in ruins, her sister Savannah books her a six-week stay at an Alaskan resort

On her first night in Alaska, Margot finds herself running from a Moose and into the arms of the rugged, brooding resort proprietor.

Forrest Whitefield doesn't need another distraction in his life, especially when he's taking care of his ailing father. But the tension and push and pull between these two soon become too hard to resist.

Excuse me while I swoon. The banter and small moments between Margot and Forrest were everything! I loved Margot and Savannah's relationship and all the secondary characters. Any Trope but You was a fabulous debut and I'm excited to see what Victoria will write next 👏🏼!

⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4.5/5!
As an outdoorsy girl, I took one look at this cover and had to read it. My expectations were beyond met! It was funny and swoony and an absolute joy to read. Margot and Forrest and all the side characters were so lovable. Margot is a romance author who doesn’t believe in love and has a bit of a social media snafu. Her sister, Savannah, sets her up to spent 6 weeks in Alaska to write a new book in a new genre. She meets Forrest and things take off from there. I loved all the tropes and the dual POV. A fast and fun read! I can’ wait to read more from Victoria Lavine.

Thank you NetGalley and Atria for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Forced proximity and enemies to lovers are two of my favorite romance tropes, and this book has them both. (And - as indicated by the title - several others, but it was done very specifically and done very well.) The book (read: author) is aware of exactly what she's doing, and it's as entertaining as can be.

This book's heroine is also a romance author who doesn't believe in true love and happy endings, so that adds another level of interesting.

I enjoyed the fresh spin this book puts on the romance genre by using *all* the tired old tropes. It was a lot of fun.

I kept hearing rave reviews for this one and had too much FOMO to wait much longer—and boy, am I glad I picked this one up!

What a fun read! Seriously… a bestselling romance author who no longer believes in love flees to Alaska for a bit of a fresh start only to run into a man who seems to embody EVERY trope that makes for the perfect book boyfriend!

Can I live her life? LOL

On a more serious note, this story was rich with emotional heartache, adventure, rediscovering passions and dreams, and coming to terms with the life we want instead of the one we happen upon.

I had so much fun watching Margot and Forrest butt heads throughout this story…and even more fun as they got to know each other better and their disdain for one another turned into respect and appreciation. From believing each other to be shallow to recognizing they’re far more similar than they could have ever imagined.

Any story that incorporates caretaking of medically ill family members always makes my heart hurt, but the beauty of this story—of wanting a better life for those you love…the messages and hope—I loved every moment.

Since it IS a romance, I knew it would have an HEA, but I loved the push and pull of whether or not we’d land in the Happily Ever After camp or the Happily Never After one…and even more so seeing how we get there? That’s where the true magic is.

And the narration for this audiobook was top-notch. Tim Paige and Jesse Vilinsky kept me hooked from the start, brought the story to life, and even have me wanting to visit Alaska for my own writing retreat!

Tropes
- Enemies to lovers
- He takes care of her
- Selfless caretakers
- Opposites attract
- Forced proximity
- One tent
- Slow burn
- Alaskan setting
- Sworn off Love
- Only you
- Grand gestures

I picked up Any Trope But You at the perfect time...it was the palate cleanser I needed and got me out of a reading slump. This novel is saturated with every trope and cliche that you could name and the author absolutely made it work.

In Any Trope But You the reader follows Margot, the "Happily Ever After Queen" who has a life-altering secret revealed about her that sends her to the Alaskan wilderness. In a shock to no-one she meets sexy doctor Forrest in a meet cute that is as cliche as it is adorable.

I loved the banter, I loved both the FMC and MMC, and I loved the way the author incorporated moments that could have made this a dnf and instead made it a could-not-put-down. I had a great time.

4.5 stars

Many thanks to Netgalley and Atria Books for this advanced readers copy in exchange for an honest review.

I fear I’m straying more away from romcoms and more towards contemporary or emo romance as the days go on 👀 cue depressing sad music that I’m getting older

romcoms are usually great palate cleansers for me, as they’re fun and sometimes cringey but don’t require a ton of emotions! and while this accomplished that, I was hoping for more!

it started off on a very intriguing foot with the reader wanting to know more about margot’s ailing sister and margot’s mysterious hater who exposes her private documents online, including ones that detail how much she despises happy endings & fluff 😳 the mystery and emo elements hooked me in, but unfortunately, that’s where it ended for me…

I just… didn’t really care about the romance? forrest and margot went through every trope in the book together, and I still didn’t see the “obvious” chemistry between them oops 🫠 it wasn’t anything new or unique to me, and I found myself getting bored with the redundancy

it was giving read it and weep for adults 🫨

thank you atria books for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!!

rating: 2 stars
wine pairing: finger lakes riesling

Any Trope But You
Victoria Lavine
4 ⭐️

This book has so much going for it. I loved the Alaskan lodge/wilderness, character interactions, and the author in a book theme. Pointing out all of the tropes throughout the story worked really well and made a tasteful joke of the “only in a romance book” situations the MCs found themselves in. It took me a bit to warm up to the FMC, but I got there. I read this with my eyes. It held my attention well and I was entertained throughout. The pacing was good and side characters were just as appealing as the mains. I’d definitely recommend this one!

Thank you NetGalley, Victoria Lavine, and Atria books for the eARC.

Although this title was not for me I believe it will being joy to a lot of readers! A wonderful setting for the rom-com enjoyer with lots of heart. Excited to feature it in displays in my store.

This book is one of my favorite romances I have read this year. I was surprised when I saw that this is Victoria Lavine's debut novel. In this book we are following Margot, a romance author, who doesn't necessarily believe in HEA. In the spur of a moment her sister books her a trip to Alaska where she is able to stay off the grid. It is there where she meets Dr. Forrest Wakefield. Not only was this book laugh-out-loud funny, it also talked about hard topics such as grief and the task of caring for a family member who is sick. This book was refreshing and felt real, I cannot wait to read more of Victoria Lavine's books in the future!

Thank you NetGalley, the publisher, and Victoria Lavine for allowing me the chance to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

This is a fun, lighthearted read I truly recommend. Nothing new, but very well written, exceptionally funny, and full of positive vibes. 100% recommended.

I can't believe this was a debut! It was so good! I loved everything about this. The characters' journeys, the tropes they kept finding themselves in. The healing, everything. This was a beautiful debut and I'm excited to see what Lavine does next.

2.5 rounded up! ⭐️

The beginning instantly got me interested, but then fizzled out for me. It was hard for me to get through, but it was a cute story. In part, this could just be due to the fact that I’ve been reading heavier novels. This timeline felt rushed and unrealistic — think Hallmark movie, but with better writing.

I loved this book. The title drew me from the start and the book did not disappoint. A fun and enjoyable read, I highly recommend it.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and publisher for giving me the opportunity to read Any Trope But You.

I kept hearing rave reviews for this one and had too much FOMO to wait much longer—and boy, am I glad I picked this one up!

What a fun read! Seriously… a bestselling romance author who no longer believes in love flees to Alaska for a bit of a fresh start only to run into a man who seems to embody EVERY trope that makes for the perfect book boyfriend!

Can I live her life? LOL

On a more serious note, this story was rich with emotional heartache, adventure, rediscovering passions and dreams, and coming to terms with the life we want instead of the one we happen upon.

I had so much fun watching Margot and Forrest butt heads throughout this story…and even more fun as they got to know each other better and their disdain for one another turned into respect and appreciation. From believing each other to be shallow to recognizing they’re far more similar than they could have ever imagined.

Any story that incorporates caretaking of medically ill family members always makes my heart hurt, but the beauty of this story—of wanting a better life for those you love…the messages and hope—I loved every moment.

Since it IS a romance, I knew it would have an HEA, but I loved the push and pull of whether or not we’d land in the Happily Ever After camp or the Happily Never After one…and even more so seeing how we get there? That’s where the true magic is.

And the narration for this audiobook was top-notch. Tim Paige and Jesse Vilinsky kept me hooked from the start, brought the story to life, and even have me wanting to visit Alaska for my own writing retreat!

Tropes
- Enemies to lovers
- He takes care of her
- Selfless caretakers
- Opposites attract
- Forced proximity
- One tent
- Slow burn
- Alaskan setting
- Sworn off Love
- Only you
- Grand gestures

This is an example of a PERFECT romance book, oh my goodness! It had spice, heart, soul and a perfect storyline to match it all! I absolutely adored Margot and Forrest, their chemistry and banter was so good and several times I was tearing up as well. This book just hit so good and was perfection, no notes!

Long overdue ARC review, but I’ve been dreading writing this one because I wanted to love this book 😭

The premise sounded SO fun, but I felt like she overdid it with constantly talking about every trope (using the word trope) and I didn’t feel connected to either of the characters by the end. It just didn’t live up to the hype that I was expecting.

Thank you @atriabooks for the free e-pub in exchange for my honest review