The honesty of the characters in this book was unmatched, and the way it unapologetically called out classic tropes? Absolutely amazing! I loved every second of this read. It had me laughing, cringing in the best way, and just having so much fun.

One of my favorite parts? How well Victoria Lavine calls out romance readers—it was so relatable and made the reading experience even better!

If you love romance, this is a must-read, especially if you’re a sucker for these tropes:
📖 Enemies to Lovers
⛺️ One Tent

This one was such a fun ride, and I can’t recommend it enough!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

ARC provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Victoria is surgical in her use of tropes. Every one honed to perfection to pull every heartstring. I can’t believe this is a debut and I’m so excited to read whatever she has in store next. Well done.

*Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this free ARC in exchange for an honest review. Pub date: April 1, 2025

Gratuitously adorable open door romance that is a love letter to romance readers! This has all the tropes but also hilariously calls them out so it works?! Great pick if you need a fluffy heartwarming read!

I really enjoyed this one. It had a little bit of everything and was cute and uplifting. I really enjoyed the chronic illness storyline. It gave the characters something really meaningful to connect on. Loved the setting and how the characters just couldn't help but be drawn to each other. I totally bought into the story and the characters relationship. So good for a debut!

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for an arc of this novel.

This was a cute romance novel! Victoria Lavine understands the genre well, and I appreciated how self-referential this was: In a meta twist, struggling romance writer Margot Bradley goes off to a remote Alaskan wilderness lodge (at her sister and best friend Savannah's insistence)...where she soon meets Dr. Forrest Wakefield, a grumpy but swoony man right out of one of her romance novels. With Forrest, Margot learns to love again.

I enjoyed Lavine's sharp writing — I found myself highlighting passages throughout the book that were funny, and she really pulls out all the trope stops! Margot and Forrest have great chemistry, even though they're both stubborn. Towards the end, though, the novel wore out its welcome; I think it had one too many extra conflicts between Margot and Forrest before they arrived at their HEA. The storyline could be tighter, but this is a solid and clever entry into the romance genre!

any trope but you- Victoria Lavine

best-selling romance author Margot Bradley flees to alaska after her “happy never after” file is leaked. in order to reinvent herself and write her first murder mystery. once she arrives, she meets Dr. Forrest Wakefield and now fears she finds herself smack in the middle of a rom-com.

read if you like:
❄️ enemies to lovers
❄️forced proximity
❄️colder/ alaskan setting

this was a cute story, and one that fit well with the cold weather i read it in🤍
this incorporated almost every romance trope, and somehow worked! i loved the cozy setting, the no outside communication, and the characters were all so colorful and fun.
i did feel that the ending was a little rushed, and i would have loved a little more.

3.5 ⭐️

oh my goodness! I loved this book SO MUCH. What a wonderful debut! The tropes were troping, and it didn't seem cliche because the FMC was pointing them out as they occurred.

The BANTER and LAUGHS. so good. Yet the serious story lines from both main characters really worked as well. And the spice? So well done and angsty and good!

Absolutely loved Forrest so much!

Love love loved! Will definitely be reading more from her in the future!

4 ⭐️ I have had the best of luck this month with amazing reads! This was so darn cute and I can’t believe it’s a debut!! I will absolutely read anything Victoria Lavine puts out after this funny, swoony romance with a lot of heart and emotional depth built into the story. Also, it takes place in dreamy Alaska, I can’t name a single book that I’ve read with this amazing landscape that I didn’t love.

Margot is a romance writer who doesn’t believe in HEA, so much so that she has a secret file on her computer where she writes her Happily Never Afters of all her main characters and how their life really would have ended up in her jaded sense of reality. That is until she gets cancelled when a hacker reveals this file to her fans. She runs off to Alaska to reinvent herself as a murder mystery writer and hopes that she can reinvent herself in a new genre. That is until she meets Forrest, the caretaker of the remote wilderness resort she is staying at and they have every single romance trope interaction possible, including the best meet cute involving a moose. It was so fun to read about a book that you know is writing about these cheesy romance tropes we all know and love but also creates a good story that involves just the right about of emotional devastation to keep this out of Hallmark. Or maybe it is Hallmark, I don’t watch those movies. All I know is I loved the banter and I loved every single trope included (except maybe the 3rd act, you know what, but trust me it works fine with the narrative). The ending was just OK, I could have used an epilogue and it's a pretty predicable storyline but that is really my only complaint. I loved the side characters and growth journey of both Margot and Forrest. Do yourself a favor and pick this up, it dragged me out of a bad book slump and I’ve had a string of good luck since picking this up.

Read this if you liked:
* Romance books and know every Trope out there
* Enemies to Lovers
* Forced Proximity (REMOTE ALASKA)
* Strong Family Bonds
* Dual POV
* Open Door Spice

Thank you to NetGalley, Atria Books and Victoria Lavine for this egalley in exchange for my honest review.

This book will be published on April 1, 2025.

This was my 26th book of 2025.
Format: ebook, ARC

Any Trope but You follows disgraced romance author Margot Bradley after her super public and humiliating fall from grace. An incident that revealed to her fans and the entire world that she herself, the queen of the happily ever after, has zero percent faith in love. I’d go so far as to say less than zero percent. Whatever quantifiable percentage means she writes alternate “real” endings to all her romance novels. That’s the percentage I’d say for Margot in the faith in love scale. This woman has been hurt a few too many times by men in her life and she writes fantastic romance novels anyway. So when her Happily Never After file is leaked to her fans….. things get a bit dicey. Margot has built her life around her chronically ill sister who in turn sends her to the middle of nowhere Alaska to reinvent herself for 6 weeks. Then Margot is startled by a moose and the tripped begin when she literally hurls herself into the arms of a tall handsome mountain man named Forrest. Because of course she did.

I just have to say, this concept is absolutely adorable. Exploring so many tropes with a main character who is so painfully aware of them is hilariously endearing. This book really leans into all of it and discussing the happily ever after (HEA) is a regular occurrence for Margot both regarding her books and her life.

I must add that Forrest’s dad and Margot’s sister are my favorite people in this story. Seriously what darling gems who have nothing but love and adoration for their families. I will not hear a word against them ever. The emotions in this story that surround family members with chronic illnesses from both sides feel incredibly genuine.

This is author Victoria Lavine’s debut novel and it is a strong start for her. Lavine’s writing is easy and her characters are relatable. I really took my time to finish this book and it was because I wanted to draw it out and enjoy it for longer. It’s so fun to have a story where the author not only is completely aware of how cheesy the genre can be but they embrace it completely while still calling out its ridiculousness. If you are looking for a romance novel with all the tropes, humor and a good bit of spice, give this one a read. You won’t be disappointed. I’ll definitely keep my eyes and ears open for more books from Lavine in the future. I expect we will see some great stories from her.

Huge thank you to Atria books for offering this ARC for review via Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

3.75 ⭐️ Margot is a beloved romance author who gets cancelled when her fans find out she doesn’t believe in happily ever afters. When her career blows up, she takes a trip to Alaska to get away from it all and write a murder mystery. When she arrives in Alaska, she meets Forrest, and all of the classic romance tropes ensue.

This was a fun read! I especially loved the premise and set up. The writing was witty and had me laughing out loud a few times - shoutout to #PantiesofLies and Dr. Mountain Daddy MD 😂 I loved the Alaskan wilderness setting - it allowed for a lot of ~fun~ interactions between Margot and Forrest 🔥 I also loved Savannah and her letters.

I didn’t always love our MMC, Forrest, and I’m not entirely sure where I netted out on the disability rep and how this was portrayed throughout the story.

The book was not perfect, but it was a fun read with a unique premise and setting, and overall I would recommend it. I will definitely pick up whatever this author comes out with next!

ARC provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I really wanted to enjoy this novel more however I could not move past the FMC (Margot) that was so insecure and ditzy. Margot frequently put herself and the MMC (Forrest) in life threatening danger throughout the novel that as someone who goes camping just made me angry. It wasn't romantic for Forrest to save Margot from hypothermia, it was annoying she didn't have better common sense and frustrating she was even in this situation and not at a more appropriate Alaska retreat for her camping experience.

If you are looking for a knight in shining armor to save the damsel in distress but in the modern world this novel is for you. Forrest is a rugged lodge owner taking care of his sick father while on a leave of absence from work. He screams sex appeal but also has a heart of gold.

Margot is a jaded romance author who is being attacked online for not believing in happily ever after. Her comically ill sister sends her on an alaska trip for 6 weeks to gain inspiration for her next novel. . . which will be a mystery.

I found the dialogue to be awkward, the characters flat and the storyline didn't catch my attention. The amount of times I rolled my eyes reading this novel was extreme 🤦‍♀️ I would not recommend adding it to your TBR, there are better novels with this trope out there

Thank you Atria Books for my copy! All thoughts are my own.

I was SO excited to read this book. I’m glad I read it during one of the last (hopefully) cold spells of our Winter but it’s a delight. It’s about a Romance writer whose true thoughts about happily ever afters, a staple of the genre, are released to the Internet at large. It felt like a realistic set up! As someone who in the book reviewing space, lover of Romance, and chronically online…yeah I could see this happening.

I laughed, cried, and swooned reading this book. It’s a perfect transition from Winter to Spring!

Synopsis:

“Beloved romance author Margot Bradley has a dark secret: she doesn’t believe in Happily Ever Afters. Not for herself, not for her readers, and not even for her characters, for whom she secretly writes alternate endings that swap weddings and babies for divorce papers and the occasional slashed tire. When her Happily Never After document is hacked and released to the public, she finds herself canceled by her readers and dropped by her publisher.Desperate to find a way to continue supporting her chronically ill sister, Savannah, Margot decides to trade meet-cutes for murder. The fictional kind. Probably. But when Savannah books Margot a six-week stay in a remote Alaskan resort to pen her first murder mystery, Margot finds herself running from a moose and leaping into the arms of the handsome proprietor, making her fear she’s just landed in a romance novel instead.The last thing Dr. Forrest Wakefield ever expected was to leave his dream job as a cancer researcher to become a glorified bellhop. What he’s really doing at his family’s resort is caring for his stubborn, ailing father, and his puzzle-loving mind is slowly freezing over—until Margot shows up. But Forrest doesn’t have any room in his life for another person he could lose, especially one with a checkout date.As long snowy nights and one unlikely trope after another draw Margot and Forrest together, they’ll each have to learn to overcome their fears and set their aside assumptions before Margot leaves—or risk becoming a Happily Never After story themselves.” —NetGalley

What I Liked:

The Setting—Give me a book set in Alaska, and I will read it with glee. I also am a sucker for any book that takes place at a lodge or hotel. It’s so fun to catch the characters out of the “real life”.

Breaking the Fourth Wall of Romance—I feel like there’s been an influx of writer romances but this might be my favorite in how they handled the tongue and cheek nature of pointing out tropes while also leaning into the best parts of the genre.

The Emotional Depth—I love a good popcorn book, but there’s something about a book that can make you laugh and also examine how you view the world. The depth of these characters didn’t overshadow the fun, tropey moments. They enhanced them!

What Didn’t Work for Me:

Long Chapter Length—I feel like a picky monster, but oof a long chapter can take the wind out of my reader sails.

Character Authenticity: 5/5 Spice Rating: 2/5 Overall Rating: 4.5/5

Content Warnings:

chronic illness, cancer, death of a parent (past), injury/injury detail

I. Loved. This. Book!!!!!! She’s a romance author that doesn’t believe in happily ever afters. Her career comes to an abrupt pause and she ends up at an off grid lodge in Alaska where she meets a man that fits the bill for every single one of the romance tropes she’s written about. This book is like a love letter to the romance readers, bookstagram community and to anyone who needs an extra dose of hope in their life. The relationship between Margot and her sister had me crying multiple times, and also Forrest’s relationship with his dad. I am blown away that this is a debut novel and so thrilled I was able to read an early copy!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for a chance to eARC!

Ok so starting out, I had never read a book that was the equivalent of reading satire, from an author, in a novel! At first, I honestly didn't know if it was my thing, but after a few chapters, I found myself actually laughing out loud. I grew to LOVE Margot and Forrest so much. I understood their hesitations about love and their HEA's, after the cards they had been dealt so far in life. I was absolutely rooting for them from the get-go.
Margot may not believe that the tropes she writes about in her romance novels truly exist, but then here comes Forrest, her IRL, unavoidable, living, breathing trope, and she cannot help herself when it comes to him. Watching both Margot and Forrest work through self discovery, family relationships, and could it be? Their very own happy ever after was truly such a joy!

In order to properly do parody or pastiche you need to know your source material. Unlike the mocking tone of parody, a good pastiche loves and appreciates its source material.

Any Trope But You is a cute, but also emotionally fulfilling homage to all (and I mean almost ALL) the tropes that make romance the most popular genre of fiction. And while we get the fun ones, like a too small towel, we also get illnesses of loved ones, and other real and not so happy ones.

This is what the book gets right. Even in a perfect happily ever after, not everything will go right, there will still be challenges, and there will be conflict.

While giving everything you could possibly ask for in a romcom, Any Trope But You also reminds you why you read them in the first place.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I loved the Alaskan setting and sister relationship in Any Trope But You! This was a heartwarming read with dual perspectives of Margot and Forrest. The ending was a bit quick and I wished we got to see more of the main characters romance after the happy ending.

Thank you to Atria books and NetGalley for the advanced copy. Any Trope But You is available on April 1, 2025.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️🌶️

Y’all should know by now that I am here for the tropes. So when a book is called Any Trope But You and then lives up to its title by deftly weaving in as many romance tropes as possible, I am a happy camper!

I really enjoyed both the premise and main characters. Margot and Forrest were both fully fleshed out characters and their chemistry right from the jump was great.

I also really liked how they both were in the caretaker role for their respective loved ones- it gave them common ground for them to bond over.

This was a really cute book and I’ll definitely be checking out more of Victoria Lavine in the future!

Read if you like:
- All of the tropes
- Grumpy x Grumpy (?)
- One Tent/Huddling For Warmth
- Forced Proximity
- Meet Uglies
- Journeys of Self Discovery

Thanks to Atria and Netgalley for the eARC.

Cute premise, but just not for me. This is a me thing for sure - I just couldn't connect with the characters. It was painful at times to try to get into. Margot gave me whiplash & I just didn't really like her. I get the appeal for many & I think others will find this enjoyable but this just wasn't for me.

Cute fun read. Margot has been hurt by many guys in her past, as a romance author it’s her job to create beautiful HEAs even if she doesn’t believe in them. When the truth comes out she fears her future is ruined. Escaping to Alaska Margot meets Forrest. There is instant attraction, instant judging and assumptions, along with some avoidance.
During her stay Margot realizes she’s stronger than she thinks, she can do hard unimaginable things, and sometimes there can be HEAs.

This is what spicy romance books are supposed to be 🙌 while simultaneously poking fun at them. I loved the emotional development, character development, banter, setting. Just perfect! Thanks for the ARC!