Margot Bradley is a romance author who doesn’t believe in romantic love, she does however love and take care of her chronically ill sister Savannah, who lives with her. Then one day her disbelief in love and happy endings is exposed to all her fans and she gets cancelled. Savannah sends her to an inn in Alaska for 6 weeks in order to write her new novel and find herself. Once there Margot meets the inn owner’s grumpy son, Forrest who is attractive and a brilliant doctor who has come home to care for his ill father. As the 6 weeks progress Margot sees all her romance tropes play out in her interactions with Forrest, except neither of them believe in relationships.

This debut was super cute, a tad bit spicy, and purposely predictable in a meta sort of way. Every time an obvious romance trope plays out, Margot calls it out and so it became less obvious and I really liked the premise. The backstory of caring for an ill family member was done really well and brought an element of depth and heart to this otherwise light romance. As in most woodsy romances, the other guests created an entertaining and fun background to the romance. I whipped through this one on a Saturday when I was relaxing and it was the perfect Saturday read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for the ARC to review

This book was so fun! Literally laughed out loud several times! Margot is an author who helps care for her sister with a chronic illness. Files are leaked and her world of writing is turned upside down. Her sister plans a surprise trip to Alaska for Margot where she meets Forrest. The journey these two go on working through grief, accepting love, all while finding out what they both need was perfect! Thanks for the chance to read this early!

2.5 ★

Well, this is a disappointing rating for a book I've seen almost everyone give at least 4 stars. One who has a premise as fun as a romance author trying to find her footing in an Alaskan resort after getting exposed for not believing in Happily Ever Afters, only to find her own with the man in charge of said resort who seems to check every trope she's been avoiding.

“I came here to turn over a new leaf, but here I am, sitting next to a man who seems to embody the entire genre I'm trying to put behind me.”

You see, I liked the beginning of this book. The first chapters had me giggling, highlighting a bunch of funny quotes, and so eager to see how the romance would develop after our MCs Margot and Forrest's meet-cute. I was charmed by the other guests and everyone part of the resort, had fun with the outings and activities they were doing, and wanted more of Margot and Forrest... but this didn't last long. By 30%, I started noticing how fast their feelings were moving and how so not ready I was for them to develop something more or cross any lines. Their connection felt purely physical then, and for a long time after, it stayed like that. They had some conversations here and there, but those weren't proportional to their feelings for each other.

“Christ Almighty. One kiss with this woman and I'm already planning our future together.”

Thinking about what I just said, and as ironic as it sounds, things went simultaneously too fast and too slow for my liking. Too fast because, like I mentioned, their yearning and longing seemed to intensify as time passed, but it was entirely sexual; too slow because a love triangle (of sorts) with a secondary male character delayed Margot and Forrest from admitting their feelings and acting on them. It was such a mess that by the time they finally crossed the line, I wasn't as invested as I should have been. I even skimmed through the majority of their sex scenes because, when it came to them, I didn't care about that; I didn't care about their physical connection. I was looking for that "something", that spark I felt was missing —one I never found.

“I think he knows. I think he sees every hidden part of me, and for the first time ever, being known doesn't feel like a threat. It feels like coming home.”

Don't get me wrong, this wasn't a completely terrible experience. I got into it again by 85% (not ideal, but better than nothing) and thought Margot and Forrest were kinda cute together. I enjoyed how much they understood each other since they both take care of chronically ill and disabled family members (she takes care of her sister, he of his dad) and loved the beautiful bonds they had with said family members (including the sweetest letters that Margot's sister wrote to her). I also found the writing super easy to follow and wasn't supremely annoyed by all the unnecessary Taylor Swift references (I even found the 'Margot's version' and 'Savannah's version' cute). The last two chapters were adorable, and the very last paragraphs super cute, but that wasn't enough for me to rate this higher or tell you I enjoyed it more than I expected because I didn't.

Thank you to Atria Books and Netgalley for the ARC ♡ I'm in the minority over my feelings on it, so if you're still interested, pick it up when it comes out on April 1st!!

So many rom-com tropes wrapped up in 1 book and it worked! After the first few chapters, I wondered if I’d be able to get into it but it picked up and I couldn’t stop giggling. I believe this is her debut and will definitely read more by this author.

Atria eARC
I am so impressed with this debut. It had the perfect balance of heavy and light; seriousness and fun; and pining and tension. She pulled me in right away with Margot being canceled and immediately kept me wanting more after meeting Forrest. I loved the isolation that the Alaskan setting gave this story. I love the forced proximity trope, and it's done so well here. I also liked the comments about all the romance tropes throughout the novel. It made it lots of fun to read. While it was fun, the author also managed to explore some heavier topics with excellent communication between the characters. I was so impressed with how all of the different conflicts were handed. This was excellent, and I will definitely be reading this author from now on.

Margot's career as a romance writer is in jeopardy after her "Happy Never Afters" diary gets leaked. To wait out the fallout, Margot's sister sends her on a 6-week sabbatical to remote Alaska, where she meets Forrest. Margot faces her worst fear as she encounters trope after trope with Forrest, and despite her contempt for love, she can't help but fall for him.

Margot and Forrest have the best chemistry from the start. I really loved their banter and the tension in the beginning. This book felt like a love letter to romance novels, with trope after trope. Margot and Forrest were both really lovable characters, both acting as devoted family caretakers and were both really well rounded. and selfless I really loved seeing them navigate their relationship with each other and with their families.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for the advanced reader copy of this book!

A romcom about a writer who escapes to Alaska to write her next novel. I loved the setting and the fish out of water vibes. I also really liked the chronic illness representation. The chemistry between the two characters wasn’t quite there for me but otherwise I liked it.

Any Trope but You centers on Margot, a bestselling romance author who doesn’t believe in love, and Forrest, the impressive and ruggedly handsome resort owner who makes her feel like she’s caught in one of her novels. This is a quintessential rom-com filled with plenty of witty banter and set with a gorgeous Alaskan backdrop that I really enjoyed. The romance is obviously the focus, but there’s also a heartwarming sister dynamic that adds more depth to the story. It’s absolutely tropey and predictable but also earnestly charming and satisfying. If you’re in the mood for a feel-good romance, this one would definitely do the trick.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
🌶️🌶️.5

I think this is my favorite read of the year thus far.
Any Trope but You follows Margot and Forrest. Margot is a bestselling romance author who flees to Alaska to reinvent herself and write her first murder mystery after a scandal has her dropped by her publisher and fans. And Dr. Forrest Wakefield left his job as a cancer researcher to care for his Dad and help run their resort in the Alaskan bush.
I cannot believe this is Victoria Lane's debut novel. All I can say is I will be reading anything else she writes.
I absolutely loved the relationship between Margot and Forrest and how they had a deep understanding for each other needing to care for their respective loved ones. This book had me laughing, swooning, kicking my feet, and almost crying.

Tropes:
Dislike to lovers
Forced proximity
Author x Doctor
One bed (tent)
Caretaking
Dual POV

Thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for the ARC. This book offers a masterful look into what it’s like to go through being ostracized from a community you didn’t feel like you belonged to but eventually find your want back to them when you truthfully needed them all along. Margot’s sister sends her on a journey to prove to herself and to Savannah that they can do the hard things, and it was a bonus that there was such a hot, smart MMC right out of Margot’s books to put her back together. Everyone is flawed, but it’s okay, and the ending making every trope-loving reader’s heart melt.

Any Trope But You is for all of us romance junkies who love all the tropes- specifically injured heroines, one cold tent, forced proximity, and gruff Alaskan hero’s with six packs who also happen to be brilliant doctors. If those are your specific kinks, than look no further than here!! Circling back…is there anything better than two cold people in a tent, snuggling for warmth, when oopses, my tongue accidentally fell in your mouth?! I love it when that happens in real life.

Margot is a successful romance author who finds herself in a scandal so her sister books her the next flight to the Alaskan Bush (insert crude sexual inuendo here) to escape and write a new non-romance book. As luck would have it, the lodge where she is holed up is run by a sexy, gruff, intelligent Paul Bunyan who happens to be a doctor. What are the odds? Margot and PB avoid each other initially bc that’s what people who want to bone in romance books do. And they they give in and then Paul Bunyan becomes Margot’s own personal bush doctor and of course his “axe” is so large that he’s afraid he will hurt Margot. As a medical professional he of all people should know of the vagina’s magical ability to pass a human skull through it…sorry dude, your large D will fit.

Like any trope fueled book, there’s lots of ups and downs and shake ups and break ups and of course a late 4th quarter grovel! This one is a good one and if you love romance tropes, you will obvi love this one. Def recommend.

Smut- 2.78 stars
Romance- 4.89 stars
Story- 4.65 stars
Randomly finding a hot, highly educated, well-endowed man who doesn’t have scurvy or raging agoraphobia in the middle of the Alaskan wilderness- 19.21 stars

This book is super cute and laugh out loud funny! I love the way the author incorporated all the different tropes throughout the book!

I will be looking forward to more books by this author!

Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for the eARC. I wasn't sure what to expect and was pleasantly surprised. I thoroughly enjoyed this story and that Margot changed her mind on HEAs. Both Margot and Forrest experienced personal growth and understanding of others. Very satisfying ending as well.

A nice light read with a perfect amount of laughing out loud mixed in with family drama and an wmotional journey. However the romance fell flat for me in this novel, while I wanted the two main characters to get together, it wasn’t an all consuming storyline for me. Overall a wonderful rom com read!

Margot is a famous romance writer who makes a living off happy ever afters. However, she doesn’t believe in them and writes a bad ending for every famous story. All her fans turn against her and she has to run away and write a murder mystery in Alaska. Of course she meets a grumpy yet secretly nice doctor turned inn keeper and becomes one of her romance stories.

This was a cute book and easy read. I’m a sucker for anything set in Alaska.

First, thank you Atria Books and Netgalley for this ARC!

“Any Trope But You" is a charming, self-aware romance that blends humor, heart, and a touch of chaos in the best way. Margot’s journey from jaded romance writer to reluctant heroine is both hilarious and heartfelt, and her relationship Forrest is packed with sizzling chemistry.

The Alaskan setting adds a cozy, escapist feel, and the parade of tropes—moose encounters, forced proximity, and undeniable tension—keeps the story engaging.

The witty writing and emotional depth make this a truly enjoyable read. Perfect for romance lovers who appreciate a little satire with their swoon!

I flew through this in a handful of hours. It's trope heavy, a bit cheesy, and moderately predictable so it's perfect for a quick fun read. Some of the HEA references and omg this guy is such a trope got mildly distracting at parts but I cruised over it because it was done in a humorous and sarcastic way. Like of COURSE she forgets her tent.

There are heavier undertones with a disabled parent and chronically ill sibling which I felt were both extremely well done.

I'm a huge sucker for an Alaskan woods romance so I knew I'd fall head over heels for the MMC. Large, surly, strong family guy? He carriers her down a damn mountain. Duh.

The spicy scenes were delicious despite it being a slower burn to get there. They go from enemies to an understanding to we can't have each other to we can't possibly not have each other was a really natural progression. Level three spice when it kicks in.

I'm excited for this author to continue her writing journey. This was an extremely bingeable and enjoyable book.

“Any Trope But You” by Victoria Lavine started with a romance author, Margot being hacked and having her happily never afters that she had written shared with her entire fan base. This is a huge deal to the romance community and she retreats to the wilds of Alaska to see if she can switch genres and reinvent herself. There she meets Forrest who is her every romantic trope fantasy come to life. They both fear the intense attraction they have and so fight constantly to try and keep their distance. Fate has other plans as they are constantly thrust together in awkward and harrowing situations. Margot is even chased by a tame moose named Bullwinkle as her meet cute with Forrest.

The chemistry between these two was fire and the spicy scenes were incendiary 🌶️. I really liked the push and pull between these two characters as they developed their relationship all while trying not to. The banter and writing was top notch as was the character development. I did struggle with the constant reminders that their budding relationship was not permanent because it was sometimes hard to get into the development of the relationship when we were repeatedly reminded this had an end date. The main conflict wrecked me, I mean tears, but the grand gesture made up for the emotional trauma. Overall a good read that I enjoyed but also caused some emotional distress.

To start, loved the moose reference in the story. Not the usual rom-com but a bit more of ‘reality’ in the story. I thought it was enjoyable. I loved how both Margot and Forrest could relate to each other in care taking for family members and understand that stress from one another. I thought the HNE leak was kind of funny and a great catalyst for the whole story. I also liked how it showed how powerful family relationships can be.

Thank you so much to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for granting me an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. It is due to be published April 1, 2025.

4.5 stars, rounded up! This was so sweet and steamy heart wrenching and all around a great time!

Any Trope But You tells the story of Margot, a best-selling romance author who no longer believes in happily ever after. In order to cope with being a romance author who doesn’t believe that an HEA is possible, she writes happily never afters. These are stories about her romance characters but in them, they are getting divorced and generally not living their best romance lives. When these are made public, she is effectively cancelled and her sister sends her on a trip to Alaska so she can pivot to murder mystery and get her life back together. But when she arrives, she meets the ruggedly handsome proprietor (aptly named Forrest) and romance shenanigans ensue.

I had such a great time with this one! Margot and Forrest are such complex and well rounded main characters that I couldn’t help but root for. But what made this novel really stand out to me, was the fact that they both acted as caretakers for family members who needed support. Lavine wrote these parts with such tenderness. Margot’s relationship with her sister Savannah is one the best parts of this book. It is also very clear that Lavine is a huge fan of the romance genre. I loved all the references to tropes that Margot was running into in her real life relationship with Forrest. I do feel like I wanted more out of the ending but overall, I loved this. It was also perfect timing to read a book set in Alaska because I could pretend it wasn’t almost 80 degrees when I was reading it.

I would highly reccomend y’all pick it up when it comes out!!