Several bookstagrammers I follow were loving this book, so I was inspired to request an ARC and see what the hype was all about. I am so glad that I did! I am a huge fan of both swoony moments and open door scenes, and Victoria Lavine absolutely perfected the balance between sweet and spicy (that sauna scene  🥵🔥). 

Margot Bradley got cancelled by the romance reader community after her secret "Happily Never After" list was leaked. She believes that the only way she can continue supporting herself and her chronically ill sister is by making a genre shift. When her sister books her a six week stay at a remote Alaska inn, she thinks it will provide the perfect backdrop to inspire her murder mystery novel. When she finds herself leaping into the arms of a gorgeous lumberjack mere minutes after arriving at the inn, she cannot help but wonder if she will ever be able to shake the romance genre...

As the title and summary hint, romance tropes are sprinkled throughout the novel. There were some tropes that absolutely were critical to the storyline (I'm looking at you, only one sleeping bag), but there were times that it seemed as though the cap of the sprinkle jar fell off and every single trope was worked into the book, even if it did not advance the plot. 

Tropes aside, this book is a solid 4 star read for me. I really appreciated Margot's journey throughout the book. Like many women, she has put off caring for herself in order to care for those around her. It was a joy to watch her heal from heartbreak and find her inner strength. The romance is authentic and relatable, and I found myself wanting to book a trip to Alaska after reading. 

Read this book if you love:  
🌲 Self-discovery  
🥾 Found family  
🌲Only one sleeping bag   
🥾 Adorable nicknames
🌲 Forced proximity   
🥾 Wilderness / Alaskan setting  
🌲 Dual POV

TW: Both characters care for chronically ill family members. Additionally, there is moderate mention of the death of a parent from cancer.  

I will post a review of this book on my bookstagram account @thecozybookgal closer to release date!

This book felt like a gift for romance lovers like me! It was as if the author was writing a love letter to all of us who live to read about love and happily ever after.

When famous romance author Margot B finds herself canceled when her fans find out she doesn't believe in love or happily ever after, she decides to try and salvage her career by penning a murder mystery. Her sister books her a 6 week trip to Alaska so she can work at a remote lodge. Of course, as soon as she gets there, she runs into Forrest, the tall, sexy proprietor. From their adorable meet-cute, to forced proximity, he takes care of her, snowed in and more, she finds herself experiencing all the tropes she writes in her novels. But luckily she's jaded enough to recognize them and refuses to develop any real feelings for Forrest. At least, that's what she tries to convince herself.

This was the kind of book that makes me so happy to be a romance reader. The banter and wit were written so well, Forrest and Margot had so much chemistry, and I found myself smiling and laughing through the whole book. There were definitely some emotional moments, as both Margot and Forrest dealt with tough family issues, but the author managed to add them in without making it feel overly sad. I definitely recommend this to any reader who loves a cute, spicy, swoony, rom-com that's full of heart!

Thank you Netgalley and Atria books for the e-arc of this book.

This was an excellent romance- the themes ran a little deeper than your ordinary romance book, a trend that I am really enjoying. The characters are likable and realistic, I'm looking forward to more books by this author.

If you are looking for a trope filled read that is real and HONEST, this is the read for you. Throughout life we always talk about falling in love and out of love but never about falling out of love with the idea of love. I really enjoyed this read and the truth behind how it can be dating and falling in love in the world today.

I would rate the spice about a 3.5 out of 5 so if you aren't into open door romance scenes, I would suggest finding a review that will help you make the right modifications.

Just like some romance books, there are some cringe worthy moments so brace yourself! Thank you Atria books and Netgalley for allowing me to read this book early!

This book was full of tropes (as expected and advertised) and I know it was supposed to be cheesy but it was a bit much at times. I felt the ending was also very unrealistic. The other thing that bothered me was that all the Taylor Swift references got annoying. Let's create characters who are more than just Taylor Swift fans as their personalities. I found it hard to connect with the main character Margot especially, she has such an attitude and I wanted to see more personal growth from her being stuck in Alaska but she was still the same wifi and avocado obsessed LA girl. I will say, my favorite character was Margot's sister Savannah, I adored her and found her the most entertaining character in the book.


Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

this is a fun read! I highly recommend if you want a light hearted fun read. This is amazing to read and annotate to find great quotes!!!!

I’ve heard so many good things about this book. When I was approved for the arc yesterday, I was absolutely thrilled and I cuddled up on the lounge—ready to dive in. Unfortunately, while I enjoyed the prose in this book, I struggled connecting to the MC. DNF’d at 25%

Any Trope but You has been on my radar for a long while now, and I'm glad I got to review it!
I absolutely loved it, it was refreshing and had a little bit of everything - funny instants, deadpan humor, heartfelt moments, and characters that you'll root for. This story has so many layers to it, with such strong relationships between the characters that it tugs on the heartstrings and feels poignant and wholesome.
I loved both Margot and Forrest (and all the secondary characters who play crucial roles), and the fun play on tropes in their story. I feel like there was kind of a full-circle moment to their HEA, and it seemed like a significant moment for Margot especially.
The story flew beautifully, and the writing was top-notch - beyond my expectations for a debut!
This book deserves no less than a 5 star from me, and I look forward to reading more from Victoria Lavine.

Thank you to Atria Books for the ARC via Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

Thank you to @atriabooks and @netgalley for providing me with this #gifted digital copy!

This book has such a fun premise! A jaded romance author, Margot, keeps a secret file of her “Happily Never Afters” where she gives all of the HEAs in her books non-happy endings. But when this is revealed to the world and the romance community turns against her, Margot’s sister books her a trip to remote Alaska to write and reinvent herself.

What a great debut! 🙌🏻 Victoria Lavine has hilariously sarcastic writing, and the way she intentionally mocks yet appreciates romance tropes throughout is so well woven. The entire time she’s falling in love, our FMC can’t believe she’s experiencing so many obvious tropes she writes and doesn’t really believe in. I found this such an endearing storyline and laughed out loud several times!

This is a cute, charming, and honestly pretty spicy romcom that people are going to love. I’m a sucker for a good Alaskan setting in books, and I thought the MMC Forrest was pretty dreamy. The connection between the two main characters was well-formed due to their shared circumstances of being caretakers for their loved ones. I did not love the third act breakup, but saw it coming and do understand why it was added in there.

This is definitely one to pick up!

this will contain spoilers.

This book was a lot of fun. I like when characters go through hard things that are very relatable, showing that they can grow and change. That gives me hope that I can get through the hard things within my own life. I had to laugh every time Margot was exasperated by a new trope showing up, like one tent, or abs of steel, or doctor with a worthy cause. by the end, it got to a point of trying to make impossible decisions and whether or not they could put themselves into a position to be as happy as could be. We all have to make those choices sometimes.

But this was definitely a fun book and I laughed multiple times.

I plan to share this title on my instagram on Monday, March 31st at www.instagram.com/robinashleyreads

Any Trope But You
By Victoria Lavine

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Rom-Com
Format: 📖
Steam: 🌶️🌶️🌶️
Mood: Fun, quirky, spicy, escape
Yes, No, Maybe: Maybe
Publication Date: 4/1/25

A romance author is outed for not believing in “Happily Ever After”. She escapes to a remote, rustic lodge in Alaska to recalibrate her writing career and possibly re-examine her thoughts on love.

I went into this book with no expectations. I was looking for a fun, palette cleansing escape after reading some darker books recently and this certainly delivered. Victoria Lavine is clearly a lover of the romance genre and I think did a good job being playful with the tropes, but not having it come across cheesy or cringe. It had some humor, spice, wit, and complicated characters that displayed some growth throughout the story.

It took me a little time to get used to the writing style. I found it a bit heavy handed with the similes and metaphors, particularly the first 20% of the book. To me it made it more distracting, confusing, and took away from getting to know the characters and the setting. As the story progressed I either got used to them or the frequency decreased making it flow more smoothly for me.

Overall, I enjoyed this debut novel from Victoria Lavine. I got some sad personal news when I first started reading this book and it served as the perfect distraction and escape, I needed. I loved the Alaska backdrop, the outdoor adventures, the fun supporting cast of characters, the humor, and the swoon-worthy, cinnamon roll male main character.

📖Read this book if you like:
❤️ Classic romance tropes
😏 Playful banter
☀️ Grumpy sunshine MMC
📈 Personal growth in lead characters
🏕️ Outdoor adventure
🫎 Fun supporting characters
🔥 Slow burn and spice!

🙏 Thank you to NetGalley, Atria Books, & Victoria Lavine for this ARC in exchange for my honest thoughts. Any Trope But You publishes 4/1/25. 💖


⚠️ Trigger Warnings: parent divorce, absent father, breast cancer, loss of parent (past), climbing accident resulting in significant physical injury (past)

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC of Victoria Levine’s ‘Any Trope But You’. Hitting shelves April 1, 2025. It is everything I could have ever wanted in a romance novel. It’s hilarious, heartfelt, and utterly swoon-worthy. I would say that this book checked all of the fantastic romance boxes and then some!

The chemistry between the leads crackles from the first chapter where Margot literally jumps into Forrest’s arms. Their continuous banter throughout the book had me grinning like an absolute fool. As for the premise of the book, absolute gold. The way Levine masterfully weaves classic romance tropes while flipping them on their heads makes this story feel fresh, exciting, and completely addictive. I laughed, I sighed, I cried, and I may have even hugged the book when it was over because I wasn’t ready to say goodbye.

The writing is sharp and engaging, the pacing is just right, and the emotional depth sneaks up on you in the best way. It’s the kind of book that makes you believe in love all over again. Whether you’re a fan of fake dating, enemies-to-lovers, grumpy/sunshine, or forced proximity—Any Trope But You delivers it all with charm and flair. This is most definitely a ‘just one more chapter’ kind of book because Margot, Forrest, Trapper, and Savannah hook you from the start. I’ll be recommending this to everyone!

60/100 or 3.0 stars

This was a cute romance!
I had a fun time with this, despite the obvious plot holes/conveniences throughout the story. I am also not a fan of every avaialble person being attracted to the main character just for them to either seem more desirable or make tension between the person they actually like, but that happens all the time and isn't necessarily this book's fault. I just wish that trope would be over already. The constant mention of what was happening as being tropes was annoying after the first time it was mentioned...we get it!
Otherwise, the sexual content was decent. It was not memorable though, so that is why I gave it three stars. I would recommend for readers looking for a quick romance read!

Okay what a fun time!!! This was such a unique concept for a contemporary romance!
As a shameless rom-com reader this had ALL THE TROPES.

I absolutely devoured the self-aware humor in this book.
Found myself giggling the whole time.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria for the ARC!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ !!!!

Victoria Lavine's Any Trope but You is a charming and clever take on contemporary romance with a refreshing twist. The story follows two characters who find themselves caught up in the world of romantic tropes—only to discover that love might be more complicated (and funny) than they expected. What sets this book apart is its meta exploration of the very tropes it embraces, poking fun at them while still delivering the feel-good moments we all crave.

The banter between the protagonists is witty, their chemistry palpable, and the romantic tension makes for a page-turning experience. Lavine balances humor and heartfelt moments beautifully, allowing the characters to evolve while still keeping the story light and fun. The narrative is engaging, and even when things get a little predictable (as they often do in romance), Lavine manages to keep it fresh with well-placed surprises and clever character development.

While the book sticks to many familiar romantic tropes, it’s done in such a way that it feels comforting, like slipping into your favorite sweater. That said, some might find the plot a bit formulaic, but it’s the way Lavine leans into the tropes that makes it special. Fans of lighthearted, feel-good reads will adore this one.

✨ Romantic Tropes
❤️ Slow Burn Romance
🤪 Humor & Banter
💔 Emotional Growth
⚠️ Miscommunication
💌 Love Confessions

Disgraced Rom-Com writer Margot Bradley finds herself in Alaska trying to redeem her career by taking a stab at a different genre. Surprisingly she find herself living in a Rom-Com scenario with all of the essential tropes required by “Romance Law”.

This debut novel has all of the feels and so much to love: great characters, good backstory, public humiliation and scenery along with some laugh-out-loud moments.

Victoria Lavine does a great job of hooking the you with an OMG/LOL beginning and keeping your interest. The challenge of believing in and achieving Happily Ever After are what great reads dream of. Thank you for a fun read and I’m looking forward to more HEAs from you!

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for the complimentary eARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Any Trope but You by Victoria Lavine is basically a love letter to every rom-com trope we’ve ever shamelessly devoured—only this time, the main characters are painfully aware of the clichés they’re falling into, and they are not having it.

Enemies to lovers? Forced proximity? One bed? They see it coming from a mile away and try to fight it with every ounce of their being. Spoiler: they fail spectacularly.

The banter is top-tier, the chemistry is chef’s kiss, and the self-aware humor makes this feel like a fever dream if a romance novel and a Tumblr fanfic had a baby. If you’ve ever rolled your eyes at a romance trope and then immediately proceeded to read an entire book about it anyway—congrats, this one was written for you.

The description of this book really got me as an avid romance reader. The tropes did get kind of tiring (I know that’s the point) but I will say the build up to the romance was really well paced. You kind of just want to yell at the characters at the end though - they’re both so stubborn which is frustrating to read through. Ultimately it was a fun read but I wouldn’t say the characters were my favorite as I didn’t relate to them very much.

3.5
In any trope but you, the FMC is a once-successful romance author who has lost her belief in love. When her thoughts on romance are made public, her life and writing career spiral out of control. To help her escape, her sister organizes a trip to Alaska, where she plans to write a mystery for the first time. While there, she unexpectedly runs into the MMC, the resort manager, after a moose causes her to stumble right into his arms.

They immediately clash because the FMC struggles to trust people and relationships, while the MMC is afraid of losing anyone else in his life. They each find reasons to dislike one another, but as they spend time together, their connection deepens, leading to a romantic relationship. Both characters were wonderful, especially in how much they cared for their families.

4.5 stars

I predict this will be one of the top romcoms of the year, it's that good!

Margot Bradley had given up on happy endings. She was happy to write them in her bestselling romance novels, but she didn't believe they could actually happen in real life. When the very secret alternate endings to her books that she writes just for herself are revealed to the world, Margot's readers turn on her and she finds herself in a career crisis. A reinvention retreat is just what she needs, but she soon finds herself confronted with Forrest, a ruggedly handsome doctor who embodies every one of her leading man stereotypes, and an adventure that ticks all of the romance trope boxes.

The banter in this book was so much fun! The storyline was unique while still touching on all of the classic (and some dreaded) romance tropes. The side characters were critical to the story and very well developed. I want Savannah to get her own book! The love story between Margot and Forrest was perfection, with plenty of tension and conflict and tenderness and spice. I was rooting for them the whole time!