Member Reviews
This book is so aptly named because every single romance trope that you can think of except for secret baby is in this book.
Margot is a romance writer who doesn’t believe in HEAs and is outted during a live zoom meeting. Her publisher reconsiders her future and her agent is in limbo about what’s next for the writer. Savannah, Margot’s sister secretly books her at an Alaskan get away that is rustic, filled with wild animals and a hunky caretaker who is also a doctor ( trope hero) a breast cancer researcher, a good son, and fellow Californian. SO many tropes, so many ways to write a romance!
What ensues is a rocky start ( enemies to lovers) that turns into true love (HEA), that’s tested time and time again.
Forced proximity, hero rescues, and hot sex fill this story well.
I found this story delightful and I thank Netgalley and the publisher for a sneak peak.
4 stars.
This is the second romcom I've read cover to cover today (honeymooning rocks!) and I am pleased to report that this one was another great one. I LOVED the FMC's voice and the irony of trying to stay away from romance tropes when they kept happening over and over again. I liked that it poked fun at the genre without seeming over-the-top or cheesy. I felt like this was a very realistic story, and all of the characters were developed very well. There were a couple minor plot lines I could have done without, but they didn't burden the story too much. Overall, I would definitely recommend this book, and will now keep Lavine on my publishing watch list!
Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for this digital ARC in exchange for an honest review!
I wish I had known how spicy this book would be. Everything seemed so promising - the cover, the cozy setting, and the humorous play on contemporary romance tropes, However, I did not finish, as it was much too steamy for my taste. I fully expect this book to be popular, as the writing and plot are entertaining, and many people seem to appreciate the spice.
Special thanks to the Publisher, Atria Books, and Net Galley for a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Forrest from the forest, I loved that part. Margot meets Forrest during an Alaskan get away set up by her sister. She needed an escape and new motivation to write her upcoming novel. While she is there she has to reflect on happily never afters, especially after meeting Forrest who seems like the perfect guy. Overall a cute read.
Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!
Amazing, amazing, amazing. I loved this book! It had me laughing, crying, angry, you name it. I saw myself in Margo in so many ways. This book was beautifully written. I will definitely be recommending this to my fellow readers.
I received an advanced copy of this book for review. I did not receive any compensation for this review.
Oh my gosh I loved this!!!!! So fun to poke fun of the tropes (that I am obsessed with) while also embracing them. Seeing both Margot’s and Forrest’s journeys as caretakers and how they understood each other so well was so sweet. I’m so happy they got a HEA I cried like five times. My only complaint is I need an epilogue.
I LOVED this book so much. Not only could I relate to both Margot and Forrest with their need to make sure their parent/younger sibling are okay and fix everything to make it better for them, but the romance was AMAZING! The noises that came out of me when this man gets on his knees and begs during a spicy scene. I mean c'mon dude, do you need anything else to convince to read this book. Margot is a god damn romance writer and the minute she sees Forrest she's like yup he looks like the best combination of all my male character. The funny thing is he ends up being better than them. I really don't know what I expected, but this exceeded all my expectations and more. I need to talk to someone who's read the book and gush about it! Thank you Atria Books for the e-arc of this book and thank you NetGalley as well!
i love u romance. i love u “person who doesn’t believe in love and HEAs gets an HEA” trope. i love u alaska. this was a win for me on all fronts!!
Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for an arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I wasn’t expecting to like this as much as I did. The title was a little off putting for me but I decided to give it a try. It’s filled with many of your favorite trope and instead of it coming off cringey it just embraces the cheesiness of it all. It was a nice palette cleanser after all my fantasy reads and it’s a great debut book.
No question...this was a 5 star read for me!
The plot was fresh and fun from meet-cute to HEA. The main characters were each fully developed and relatable. You can't help but root for them!
Sometimes reading this book I wasn't sure but I kept going. I found it relatable in a way and I enjoyed the banter. Victoria Lavine does a great job of making you feel like you are apart of the story.
Fun, easy to read debut novel; I look forward to future works from Lavine!
This book was one romantic trope after another, explicitly called out as the female protagonist is a romance writer. While over the top at times (in a fun way), there was also some depth as the story covers what loved ones will sacrifice to help the family they love, and when that sacrifice can be to a fault.
In addition to liking the story and underlying message in the book, I also enjoyed the writing style, pacing, and character banter.
My biggest complaint with the book was the main character, who has some flaws that drove me crazy. She’s incredible self conscious and looking for validation from others while simultaneously stubborn and hasty with decisions - together it resulted in her decisions and actions feeling illogical (e.g., way they could have a fling for a few weeks then being upset when she heard a rumor he has hooked up with other guests in the past, making it clear she isn’t used into outdoorsy things only to be offended when it’s suggested she doesn’t join a challenging hike since she’s an amateur). I still enjoyed the book but it do wish her character was a little more consistent.
Thank you to NetGalley, Victoria Lavine, and Atria for providing me with an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.
This enemies to lovers romance was a quick, fun, flirty read. The inciting incident was unique and I love that the plot got rolling right away. Although I didn’t love the MC, Margot (maybe I just can’t identify with the LA lifestyle?), her personality really did shine through. I loved the idea of a male love interest who fits all her tropes, and the fact that he lives in the Alaskan wilderness and has a name like Forrest is perfect.
Pros of this book:
-I really like the dual-perspective. It was nice to see Margot and Forrest’s personalities come through loud and clear.
-I think Victoria Lavine did a great job discussing some heavy topics. I enjoyed how real the concerns of the MCs felt when considering their futures. You could definitely feel the internal struggle.
Only negatives for me were that some of the scenes felt a little rushed and others were hard to believe. It’s difficult to believe that Margot would realistically be involved in the extreme adventure world, despite any incentives.
But overall a really great read if you like banter, enemies to lovers, and HEAs!
Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC!
Did you love….
Part of Your World by Abby Jimenez
The Rom-Commers by Katherine Center
Beach Read by Emily Henry
You will LOVE……
✨Any Trope But You✨
By @victorialavinewrites
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
I’m not sure that I can do this book justice in my review but I’m going to try!!
It is clever, witty, funny, spicy and has a depth to it that you wouldn’t expect from a rom com. You feel connected to these characters almost immediately. She built out their back stories so well. I felt like they were friends who I had known for years. I was invested in their HEA from the beginning.
I truly believe that Victoria is the next Emily Henry, the next Carly Fortune, the next Katherine Center, the next Abby Jimenez, the next great romance author. I’m already counting the days until I can read her next book!
🦞Heads up to all my Maine friends, Victoria is one of us!
Thank you to @netgalley and @atriabooks for this advanced reader copy and @victorialavinewrites for the physical copy to hold in my hands!
📚Any Trope but You by Victoria Lavine
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
Victoria is my new favorite author. She carefully crafted a trope-y full rom-com with humor, heart, and heat (oh my goodness, the spicy scenes were spicy but so beautifully written)❤️🔥🥵. The writing and plot in Any Trope but You blew my mind away, and I wish the story didn’t have to end.
From the first time Margot and Forrest meet, their chemistry is outstanding, and their banter is organic. (Forrest is my new fictional boyfriend). The secondary character cast is excellent and has a great reason to be there, including the 🫎. And I love it when the book comes full circle when the end mirrors the beginning.
I could gush about this book for hours. Please pre-order this book (the release date is April 1, 2025). You will not regret it.
I can’t wait to read Victoria’s next novel.
This novel is for you if you love dual-POV, mega hot/strong/kind MMC, friend moose, and tropes:
🥰 Cutest meet cute (is a trope 🧐?)
🙅♀️ Sworn off relationships
👩❤️💋👨 Strangers to lovers
🏕️ Only one tent
😱 Damsel in distress
❤️🩹 Injury
💘(a bit of) Love triangle
❄️ Snowy Alaska (it is not a trope, but it should be🧐)
And much more. Oh gosh, this novel has so many more tropes that it will satisfy 99.9% of romance readers.
Thank you, Atria Books and NetGalley, for this ARC.
Okay, at first I thought this was going to be a little bit too cheesy and tacky, and couldn’t have possibly said trope more, and as cheesy and overkill as it was, it’s also perfection and I tore through it in two days. What a sweet book that cuts to the heart, with a bit of spicy too. I would definitely recommend! The cheesy lines fit perfectly as the main character, a romance author, finds her fantastical romance stories coming true in real life.
Thank you Atria Books and Net Galley for allowing me the privilege of reading this book for my honest review.
Good thing this book is set in Alaska, because it is hot, hot, hot!
Margot is a beloved romance writer whose list of Happily NEVER Afters is leaked to her fans during a livestream. After the humiliation of the situation, her younger sister Savannah sends her to an Alaskan wilderness resort in the hopes of her regaining confidence in her writing and herself. It also helps that the resort owner's son is the epitome of a romance novel love interest.
This book is beautifully written, especially from a keen emotional standpoint of author Victoria Lavine. Margot has always felt the need to protect her chronically ill sister, whose character is a Taylor Swift-loving, force to be reckoned with and whom you can't help but love. The sister relationship is written with care, and tugs at the heartstrings of anyone who is fortunate enough to have a sibling of their own. The author doesn't diminish a sick character, but rather bolsters them as a whole person instead of being defined by their illness.
Now let's get to the chemistry between the two leads, because WOW. I doubt any reader will look at a sauna the same way after reading this book, in the best way possible. Margot and Forrest force each other to see themselves in a way they haven't before, and form a bond that makes their connection even stronger.
A book that will have you reading late into the night, Atria Books has a hit on their hands with Any Trope but You.
Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for the opportunity to read this book for free in exchange for my honest review.
Thank you, Net Galley for an ARC of Any Trope but You. This book could totally be turned into a Hallmark movie, although it may be a little more spicy than Hallmark allows.
Margot, a romance writer, heads to remote Alaska to work on her next book. While there she meets Forrest, and together they hit ALL of the tropes that Margot has written before.
I loved the outdoorsy Alaska element, the family relationships, and the interactions between Margot & Forrest.
First of all, thank you NetGalley and publishers for an ARC of this book. Since goodreads doesn’t allow for half stars in the rating, I will let yall know that this was a 4.25-4.5 star book for me! I loved the concept- a romance author shunned by her fans takes a trip to Alaska in order to write something new. Of course, she runs into the grumpy lodge owner and sparks start to fly.
I loved the atmosphere of the book, the Alaskan scenes were so immersive and fun to read about. And for a romance novel, the side plot was well-thought out and executed. Oh, and the spice was SPICING! It wasn’t thrown in there just because, it served a purpose of bringing the two main characters together.
If you are looking for a fun rom-com for the upcoming winter, definitely check this out!!
I received an ARC from NetGalley for Any Trope but You. I absolutely adored this book. It was slightly predictable but in a ‘can’t stop watching this Hallmark movie’ type of way. It was fun, interesting, quirky, and full of the best type of swooning. It was a fun read with some underlying heavy and vulnerable themes. The references to pop culture- hello Taylor Swift and even Michael Bolton (!)- were so cute and added such a fun vibe to the book. It’s rare that I give a book five stars but I absolutely loved it. Definitely add to your 2025 must read list!