This book is outrageously wonderful, and I feel especially justified in saying this as Victoria's critique partner who has read Margot and Forrest's story no less than three times. The lines between 'honest' and 'biased' might appear blurry butttttt if you'll glance down at the dozens upon dozens of positive reviews accompanying mine, I think you'll see that I can comfortably be both :)

When popular romance author, Margot Bradley, is cancelled for not believing in love, she escapes to Alaska to reinvent herself as a mystery author, only to leap into the arms of the most delicious Alaskan mountain man that ever mountained 🥵🧯 (Someone in the earlier reviews called Forrest a 'Mountain Daddy' and can I just say THANK YOU???). As for Margot, she believes she can avoid love by reversing out of the romance formulas she knows and writes so well, but Forrest is real, and so are happily-ever-afters, as Margot beautifully discovers 💕

This is Victoria's ode to romance novels, and you'll feel her love for the genre as she celebrates the beloved tropes we all can’t get enough of, along with others we didn’t even know existed (FOREARM PINING?! Yes, please.). As someone who knows Victoria in person, I can promise she is just as genuine and relatable as her beautiful characters, and I couldn't be more thrilled for Atria to launch this story into the world for us romance readers.

This ARC was gifted to me by Netgalley and the Atria team in exchange for an honest review. Thank you so much for allowing me to see the final product in all of its glory!

Reviewed for NetGalley:

Margot Bradley, famed romance writer heads to remote Alaska after she is "cancelled" for not believing in the happily ever afters she is so famous for creating.

Dr. Forrest Wakefield, caring for his newly paralyzed father, and their family lodge in Alaska, all the while trying to avoid the same mistakes he has made in the past.

While Margot tries her hand at a new genre and earning a letter from her sister after every risk taking adventure with Forrest and other guests, sparks fly between Margot and the all encompassing male romance trope, Forrest.

I engulfed this story and loved the characters, plot, locale, and hitting up all the romance tropes.

My current favorite trope is when a character is *aware of* said tropes in their own lives, and this book served all of that funny goodness on a silver platter! From the first page to the last, this was the coziest little escape with just the right amount of depth and levity. The overall premise of this book was so delightful, and I just adore how well it leaned into the stereotypes of the genre-- including having such a delightfully perfect man.

Margot was such a lovely protagonist, and I deeply connected with her. Her outlook of the world was so honest and understandable, and as an eldest sibling, I also felt her deep sense of family and responsibility. Then there was Forrest who absolutely captured my attention from the first second (and Margot's of course;)). His balance of strength and kindness was so perfect, and I loved witnessing him and Margot fall in love. Alaska was the perfect setting for this amazingness, and their little excursions (cursed as they might have been) and the moments they created had me cracking up, giggling, and kicking my feet. It all was made even better by the blatant trope acknowledgement all throughout including but not limited to: enemies to lovers, forced proximity, one bed (or one tent, I should say...), and a good ole slowburn romance.

The whole cast of characters really just stole my heart as well. Savannah was a stunning character, and her letters were the perfect element of heart and depth, and as a fellow chronically-ill girlie, I loved seeing her journey unfold alongside Margot's. And each member of the Alaska group was so delightful and heartwarming, and they made up such a loveable cast of characters.

This book was such a perfect read for escaping the real world and jumping headfirst into a charming, sweet, and delightful fictional one. Thank you so much to NetGalley and Victoria Lavine for the opportunity to read this ARC and fall in love with such a sweet story!

Victoria Lavine is a genius! Any Trope but You immediately sucked me in, had me turning pages as quickly as I could possibly read them, and I stayed up way too late not wanting to put this down! An impressive novel that has all the classics of a romance, but yet has heart, wit, and well rounded characters throughout. I can't wait to read the next novel by Victoria Levine.

First of all, thank you so much to the publisher for sending me a free advanced copy of this book.
I went into this book completely blind, as it was sent to me randomly, and boy am I happy it found it's way in my inbox.
Any Trope buy You follows a romance author who is known for her amazing stories with even more amazing happy ever afters. She has a huge following and her fanbase is ridiculously devoted. That is, until it is revealed that she actually doesn't believe in happily ever afters after all. Then she is essentially canceled and shunned from the romance community.
She travels to Alaska to write a murder mystery and of course, she finds exactly what she ISN'T looking for... the perfect man. Ridiculously tall, handsome, smart, and kind. And for some reason, every single trope she can think of is being thrust upon them. One bed (sleeping bag), enemies to lovers, he takes care of her when she's injured, etc...
This book is so freaking good. I don't know how else to say it. It's one of those romances that offers so much more than some banter and spice. Not to say that it lacks those because it certainly does not. However, we get to meet two people, who take care of everyone around them and refuse to take care of themselves. We get to see a beautiful relationship between two sisters who would do anything for each other. And we get to see our fmc find her faith in love again and rediscover how beautiful and real those endings that she writes about can be. I'd recommend this book to every romance reader out there. The writing is great, the plot is captivating, and the ending is everything.
5 stars!

This was fun! We jump right into Margot’s disastrous upheaval from the romance community and reinvention trip to Alaska. There, she meets Forrest, son of the lodge owner and ironically, the perfect romance hero brought to life.

Honestly, laughed more than I thought I would! Both Forrest and Margot’s inner voices are hilarious. Being a romance book author, I loved seeing her realize all the romance tropes life was throwing at her. This plot device could’ve felt cheesy, but instead made the story feel charming and endearing. I thought the side characters were interesting and fun, helping move the story along while not stealing the spotlight from Margot and Forrest. All the humor was nicely balanced with the poignant letters from Margot’s sister and the heartfelt conversations about the main characters’ pasts. While the story did drag a little towards the end, I enjoyed all of Margot and Forrest’s Alaskan adventures.

“You’re telling me there isn’t something you desperately crave from California?”

If readers like authors like Christina Lauren or Abby Jimenez, I think they will enjoy this. An excellent, engaging, funny, well-rounded romance with a healthy sprinkle depth.

“Stay safe, but not too safe.”

Any Trope But You was a delight! The Alaskan setting is unique and perfectly lends itself to the characters getting into a lot of fun situations. Do you like Only One Bed? Well, this book has an Only One Tent scene where the characters have to cuddle while mostly naked to stay warm while they fight their growing attraction to each other. Camping has never been so sexy.

Any Trope But You puts a fresh spin on familiar romance tropes and does it extraordinarily well. This is a book for romance readers by an author who clearly has a ton of affection for the genre — and who can lovingly poke fun at it, too.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC, which was provided in exchange for an honest review.

ANY TROPE BUT YOU was one of the books were I couldn't turn the pages fast enough I was so immersed in the story, and yet at the same time, reluctant to reach the end for I didn't want to leave Margot and Forrest's world. I'm pleased to say that the book had much more depth to it than I thought it would as I went into it thinking it would be more on the cutesy perhaps cheesy side... but happy to report it's full of relatability and pureness between the characters that allowed me to stay connected to the story the whole time and has romance tropes tastefully done!

After romance author Margot finds her career at a halt when her documents leak that expose that she doesn't actually believe in happily ever afters and what she really thinks about romance, her sister books her a trip to a resort in the middle of the woods all the way up in Alaska, where Margot can take some time for herself and finish her murder mystery manuscript. The last relationship Margot was in her heart was broken... to protect herself and her wounded heart, she needs to stay away from Forrest, or if she has to be around him, then she has to make herself unlikable. And the last time (and only time) Forrest slept with a guest that stayed at his family's resort, it ended up in a one-star review that took a while for his family business to recover from, so he will not be making the same mistake twice, besides he needs his full focus on caring for his injured father.

Margot is only as the resort six weeks, it would make sense to look for something hot playful and casual and not something that makes her feels things she's scared of feeling like with Forrest, especially when already knowing how strong her connections is to him when hardly knowing him will be much harder than with her last serious relationship. But it also doesn't help her case when knowing that Forrest his a brilliant doctor who has dedicated his life and career to studying the cancer that took his mom way and seeing how her cares for his dad full-time... she can't help but give into the attraction and feelings she has towards Forrest.

I loved their differing yet complimenting personalities with Forrest being stern and meticulous but a completely softie on the inside and Margot the lively artist who is self-reliant (and very relatable!). They connect on knowing what it's like to care for a family member... with Margot and her sister and Forrest and his dad, and understand what it's like to put family over anything else.

I sooo enjoyed their playful banter and crackling tension (who knew it could get so hot in Alaska!?), all their charming awkwardness, and how they try to push the other's buttons and challenge one another. AND I loved the fact how they both had theories about each other on why they are the way they are. I really admired how this books also explores growth and reinvention, staring your fears in the eye, pushing yourself to be reminded of your strength and resilience, and trusting yourself and the assuredness in self to make it through hard times. It felt like a privilege and an honor to witness Margot and Forrest's story and their love and I can't stress enough how much I can't wait to read whatever the author decides to grant us with next!!!

Much gratitude to Atria Books and NetGalley for the arc in exchange for my honest review.

Any Trope But You
By Victoria Lavine

In her debut novel, Victoria Lavine introduces Margot Bradley, a romance author who has lost faith in the very love she writes about. When a hacker reveals her secret to her fans, Margot’s sister Van sends her to an Alaskan retreat to write and rediscover herself. There, Margot meets a real-life embodiment of her male characters and confronts every classic romance trope. Will she open her heart and embrace her own love story, or will she walk away from a chance at happiness?

This book is a must-read for any romance fan. It explores not only the theme of love but also challenges us to consider what we are willing to sacrifice for those we care about.

A special thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for the advanced reader copy in exchange for honest feedback.

Rating 4.2/5 rounded to 4 for Goodreads.

Any Trope But You, are you sure that you’re Victoria Lavine’s DEBUT novel? It’s too good.

What happens when a jaded romance author gets doxed and subsequently canceled by her fans? Her chronically ill sister sends her to Alaska, of course! Margot thinks she is going to be spending the next 6 weeks writing in a new genre, but she keeps finding herself stuck in the tropiest (is that even a word?) of tropes with the super hot, super off-limits Forrest. He's sworn off relationships, and especially relationships with guests.

I love how Victoria was able to pick fun at what makes the romance genre so cliche, but was able to pull you in and get you so invested in Margot and Forrest's HEA.

5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for an early copy of this book! Below is my honest review.

DNF-ed at 21%

The premise of the book was okay, but I didn't like the main character Margot at all. I felt like she was being really defensive for no reason. For example, some people invite her to a hiking trip in Alaska and Forrest (the male protagonist) tells her that the hike isn't for amateurs, so she gets mad at him for assuming she's an amateur (even though she has made it very clear that she is). Another example, she gets into a writing zone but doesn't realize that the fire inside her cabin has gotten out of control. Forrest comes to save her, and she gets defensive and says something along the lines of "Okay, fine, I don't know how to build a fire, I'm just an amateur, jeez" when Forrest checks up on her (obviously these are my words, so don't think it's a word by word verbatim of what she said).

Also, the reasoning why she ends up in Alaska is because she wants to write a murder mystery instead of a romance novel. Seems okay, but it feels like she went into this with 0% research on how to write one, how to prepare living in Alaska, etc. To be fair, her sister booked her the trip, but also it was her plan to go either way.

Also, literally jumping into a hot stranger's arms makes me cringe so much. And the scene where her thoughts on Happily Ever After's is exposed was also a little cringe.

Overall, this could be a good book, but it's not for me.

Any Trope but You was as expected - a flurry of tropes and romance that filled the Hallmark bucket in my heart all the way to the top!

If you love romance tropes, clear communication, and strong lead characters, this is the perfect book for you.

Thank you for the opportunity of an eARC and I am leaving this review willingly.

Wow— I absolutely adored this debut from Victoria Levine and can’t wait to read whatever she puts out next. I admit that I’m a sucker for a rom com set in Alaska, but this book seemed like it might be a bit cheesy (a romance writer who is outed as not believing in HEA goes to a remote lodge in Alaska to write her next book and meets the proprietors son who embodies every romance trope), but reader, let me tell you that this book is so thoughtfully written and completely heart-warming! Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for an eARC in exchange for my honest review.

A bestselling romance author flees to Alaska to reinvent herself and write her first murder mystery, but the rugged resort proprietor soon has her fearing she’s living in a rom-com plot instead in this earnestly spectacular debut by a stunning new voice. I loved the premise and this book it was so cute and heartwarming. It was fun getting to see ALL the tropes play out.



Thank you to NetGalley, Victoria Lavine, and Atria Books for the ARC of this book.

I’m in love with this book! Lavine nails the “author writing about authors” thing without making it awkward. The FMC hilariously calls out romcom clichés but realizes life’s messier than that. It’s funny, smart, and surprisingly deep — tackling love, loss, and the hard truths with a wink and a nudge. If you love tropes, buckle up! This book is like a romcom bingo card — every trope you love is here. Margot’s dragged to a writing retreat by her sister, meets Forrest, and suddenly it’s like a romcom producer is pulling the strings. The banter is top-notch, and I flew through this sweet, fun story.
Huge thanks to NetGalley for this eARC!

Any Trope but You was a heartfelt and fun book to read! It was romantic and provided enough backstory on the characters that it made you feel like you knew them. I really enjoyed reading this book!

Wow, I absolutely adore this book. Lavine sure does know how to write writing within writing. What I mean, is that I've read few books where the main characters are authors, but somewhere, always, it becomes really hard to read due to how cringe worthy it is. This book is smart and funny, and the FMC is able to look past the tropes she sees in her life and realize that there are real people she's putting these tropes onto, and that real people aren't fictional characters. It's really eye-opening and wise to think about, and sometimes I think we all need to hear that too. There are a lot of truths these characters face in this book that I think are hard for a lot of people to hear. Those who have lost loved ones, those who find themselves caring long-term for those they love, those who put their lives on hold and lose the things they cherish because they put their lives on hold for their loved ones. And realizing that you can't hold yourself back from what you long to do forever, just for someone else's sake. This book is well written and very mature, and I feel will capture the hearts of a lot of people, as well as give them a good laugh here and there.

YA sapphic holiday romcom with estranged best friends/first loves having 12 fake holidates that may or may not turn real by the end

I feel like this book is a love letter to all romance readers, because it's about an author and it features all the tropes, but does it such a fun and funny way, while also being steamy and swoony. Forrest and Margot have their own baggage and issues, but what's also clear is how much chemistry they have and how much they can change each other's lives for the better. There was a lot of emotion in this book too, but I think the author balanced it very well with lighthearted moments and some steamy scenes, as well as the overall romance. I can't believe this is a debut novel! The author is really good, and I look forward to reading more from her.

Thank you to NetGalley, Victoria Lavine, and Atria Books for the ARC of this book.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Margot Bradley is a best selling romance author who doesn’t believe in love. She secretly writes alternate endings for her characters that end in divorce or a breakup that she calls her Happily Never After document. When it’s hacked and released to the public she finds herself cancelled. In order to support her chronically ill sister, she decides to trade HEA for murder. When her sister books a six week stay in a remote Alaskan town, she suddenly finds herself in her very own romance novel.

Dr. Forrest Wakefield left his dream job as a cancer researcher in order to care for his stubborn father. He spends his days running the family resort and questioning his choices until Margot shows up. He doesn’t need another person in his life he could lose, but as they find themselves navigating through trope after trope he can’t seem to let her go.

I really enjoyed Ms. Lavine’s sense of humor which is sprinkled throughout the novel.

“It’s dark inside, but even so, I wouldn’t mistake this place for anyone’s but Forrest’s. For one, it smells like someone lit a scented candle in here called Cedar and Muscles, and it’s painstakingly neat.”

“He raises his eyes to mine right as his now-familiar scent wallops me in the face like a dictionary of romance hero smells. Cedar, whiskey, and bad decisions.”

“Honestly, what is it about men who smell like trees? At what point did biology decide wood was the go-to scent for making men smell attractive? It’s intoxicating, but I will not let my eyelids flutter.”

Forrest and Margot both have a lot of baggage so it’s easy to see why they’re hesitant to follow through with the attraction they feel towards each other in their meet cute. But after an arduous hike that ends with Margot spraining her ankle, the two slowly start to let down their guards. There’s a lot of push and pull on both their parts, but Ms. Lavine handles it with a deft hand. She builds the tension between them expertly. I especially loved her take on the one bed trope. There are also moments of tenderness especially when the two bond over being caregivers for a loved one. They understand each other and respect the sacrifices the other has made. It was so lovely to watch their relationship develop.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. There’s lots of humor and romance.