4.5 stars, rounded up to 5.

Thank you NetGalley and Victoria Lavine for the chance to read this story.

Margot is a down on her luck romance author who gets sent to Alaska by her sister in order to basically re-evaluate herself and get her career back on track.

The book started a little slow for me, Margot starts off kind of unlikeable, but in the end I loved her character and her growth.

In Alaska she meets Forrest and they both have walls up they need to break down. They go from enemies to lovers and it’s a slow painful burn, but it’s so beautiful at the same time. I loved that Forrest met all the marks of a romance bookish boyfriend, and he did not disappoint.

This book has hard moments, but it is filled with funny moments and sweet moments as well.

I really enjoyed it.

This was swoony and steamy and soft and so damn vulnerable!!!! I don't really know what to about it, to be honest.

I was rooting for these two from the (jump) start! (What else is there to do but what Margot did when faced with a MOOSE? I understand her and I validate her completely.) Forrest is an absolute dreamboat and every cliche we discover about him along side Margot had me giggling and kicking my feet.

These two had impossible barriers holding them back but the way they were able to support each other even if it meant not being able to be together was so lovely. Life is messy and it hurts but finding someone that gets you on such a deeply personal and painful level is magic. These two were magic. Full of trope-y goodness with Alaska as a backdrop. Dreamy.

Also, the light this book shines on what it means to be a caretaker is so important. It's lonely and it's isolating, even if you love the person you're caring for more than anything. And then to have those people love and care for you right back? That was the backbone of this story and I love Trapper and Savannah so much.

What a beautiful love letter to the people we love and all the ways we love them. What a wonderful debut by Victoria Lavine.

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

ADORABLE. What a debut! I really, really enjoyed this one. The Alaska setting, the fun tropes, the wilderness excursions, all of it. Loved the sisters relationship too, and Trapper - what a guy.

Some parts were so cheesy but I laughed out loud ("it smells like someone lit a scented candle in here and called it Cedar and Muscles") multiple times.

Thank you, NetGalley, for the e-ARC! I look forward to what Victoria Lavine has in store next! I just hope she drops the "sweetheart" pet name.

It was okay. Kinda cute. Kinda cringe. Didn’t really seem like it was going anywhere.

Thank you for the opportunity to read early!

4.5 stars
Thank you, NetGalley, for this ARC!

I just finished Any Trope but You, and I absolutely loved it! It’s been a while since I’ve read a romance novel with so much emotional depth. At its core, it’s a romance with a satisfying HEA (Happily Ever After), but it’s also a story about family, selflessness, and the hard choices we make for those we love.

The protagonist is a romance author in her early thirties who writes happy endings but struggles to believe in them herself. To cope, she keeps a private file of “never happy endings” for her characters. Her sister, who has a chronic condition, buys her a six-week trip to Alaska under the guise of writing a murder mystery. But beneath that surface-level excuse lies her sister’s deeper desire to help the protagonist break free from the emotional crutches that have held her back.

In Alaska, the protagonist meets Forest, a well-developed romantic interest who seems perfect on paper but hides his own burdens of guilt. The dynamic between them is rich with real-life challenges, making their relationship feel authentic and layered. The book explores not just romantic love but also the love between family members—and how selflessness, while admirable, can sometimes hold you back.

A central theme of the story is bravery—learning that sometimes the bravest thing you can do is make a selfish choice for your own happiness.

If I had one critique, it would be that the ending felt a bit rushed, leaving me wanting just a little more. But overall, this is a beautifully written debut, and I’m so glad I got to read it!

This book follows Margot - a popular romance author that gets cancelled for having her happily never afters leaked online. Her sister sends her on a 6 week wilderness retreat in remote Alaska where she meets the literal embodiment of all romance tropes in one, Forrest.

I loved their banter and following the sweet progression of them finally giving in to their feelings for each other.

I can’t wait to read more stories from this fantastic debut author.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for a digital ARC of Any Trope but You.

This was just okay to me. My main issue was that these characters were attracted to each other, tried to hate each other, and then were in love, but the pages didn't show them falling in love, rather the author told the reader it was happening. Margo was also a hard character to like. Forrest was great, and I loved that there wasn't a miscommunication trope. I understand why the author had both the main characters face similar issues, but I wish they didn't, because from each POV it was basically the same ARC. I think this will be a great book for a lot of romance readers, but it's not my favorite.

Any Trope But You has everything a great romcom should have—tons of wit, flawed-yet-lovable characters, and tension (both sexual and relational). I loved it!

Forrest + Margot 4ever ❤️

I received a complimentary ARC through NetGalley, and this is my honest review.

The Sweet Christmas read we all need. Margot Bradley's Alaskan Reinvention is a delightful mix of humor, romance, and emotional growth. Margot, a cynical romance author, escapes to a remote Alaskan resort to write her first murder mystery, only to find herself in the middle of a real-life rom-com with the brooding Dr. Forrest Wakefield. Their chemistry builds amidst snowstorms, family obligations, and quirky tropes, making this a charming read. The witty banter, emotional depth, and picturesque setting make it perfect for rom-com fans looking for something heartwarming.

This book is so flipping adorable! I already know it's going to be a hit! Who doesn't love a good inside look at the HEA community? The only thing that made me cringe was the continuous use of "sweetheart." (BLEH! but totally a personal preference and not an issue for everyone!)

4/5 stars

Thank you to Netgalley and the author for providing me with an e-arc of this book.

I want to thank NetGalley and Atria Books for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Sadly this was a Dnf for me:/.. I caught myself wandering many times throughout the book.. it wasn’t catching my interest.. some times were a little repetitive.. I made it almost halfway until I just gave up:/..

It was so good! I was entertained the whole time by their banter and relationship development but there was also some more serious things that added depth. There were a few spicy scenes that were fairly easy to skip.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for the ARC in exchange for my honest review! 

This would be it if Ali Hazelwood, Abby Jimenez, and Chloe Leise had a book baby. This book was so cute and such a fun read! It follows a romance author who doesn't believe happily ever afters exist—what could be better? When Margot's book gets leaked, she escapes to a small town, where she meets Forrest, who is literally a walking trope of a book boyfriend, and you get to watch them fall in love. The slow burn is realllllll slow and so worth it. The way Margot and Forrest have families to care for helps their bond, and how Lavine wrote that she did it delicately and authentically. Multiple scenes had me shed tears because of it (in the best way)...especially at the end, so make sure you have your tissues ready!!  

Read if you like: 
- Slow burn
- Moose (iykyk)
- One Bed
- Dual POV

Any Trope But You follows romance writer Margot Bradley after she is cancelled for not believing in love. Margot's sister sets her up on an Alaskan trip cut off from the outside world for six weeks where she meets Forrest, the perfect romance male lead in human form. Margot and Forrest continue to run themselves directly into romance trope after romance trope as they try to keep their distance, both physically and of their hearts.

The story was overall very cute. I enjoyed both Margot and Forrest and thought the other side characters were well done as well. I did think perhaps there were a bit too many, and a bit too on the nose, tropes. But I still enjoyed watching them grow and come together. I do wish the ending was a bit different. I feel like I'm missing a few chapters still. It's grand gesture and then the book ends. There's not so much a third act break up as a final chapter break up and solution. Four stars.

i do think there is an audience out there for this book, i am not a part of that audience. it started off cringe and was cringe all throughout. there is no way that Margot’s document leaking would lead to that amount of hate. it was so absurd it brought me right out of the book. however, there were some cute moments, but not cute enough to cure my hatred for this book.

First of all - thank you to NetGalley and Atria books for this ARC, I was so excited to read it!

Absolutely five out of five stars. I loved both of the main characters, they were both well developed and felt real. They were genuine, and I liked that both of them had their own reasons for being tentative to start any kind of relationship. Of course this book is all about tropes, but it didn't feel tropey if that makes sense. The FMC of course was acknowledging the tropes throughout the book, so it didn't feel overly cliche, and I think that was part of the point. For example, Forrest carried Margot down the mountain, and they took breaks, and the next day he was actually tired and sore from doing that trek. I feel like that never happens in books! I also loved that their relationship struggles felt so real. The third act breakup wasn't just for drama, but for reasons that people would actually split up over. Having family you need to care for is hard, and you don't always get to put yourself first. Margot appreciating the experience rather than disliking Forrest because he made a hard choice felt so beautiful.

OKAY so, the thing is, I am from Alaska. Born and raised, recently moved after living there 23 years. So, of course, I was highly critical of the Alaska aspects.

Here were my favorite things:
- That the lodge had wifi (Starlink babe) because even though you don't have service in a lot of rural Alaska, almost everyone has some form of wifi
- Calling them snow machines. If the author had called them snow mobiles I would have been upset
- Calling rural Alaska the bush, that's what we all say
- Using the flue! However it was a fireplace and I've always had wood stoves so that was a little different for me
- Calling it the lower forty-eight! Also what everyone says

Here were things that bothered me (yes I am being nit picky this does not change how amazing the story was I promise):
- No one feed moose. I am sorry but moose are aggressive af. And feeding them is actually proven to make them much more aggressive. Of course it was a cute part of the story, but it was just sooo unrealistic it bothered me. It's kind of illegal
- Margot (if I understood correctly) did not light a fire her first night. Frostbite city
- Most people I know do not cut wood in the winter, ever. You always have a woodshed and you prep during the summer to make sure you have tons of wood, especially if you're a lodge hosting guests
- Most places I have been that have both cabins and lodges mean that you do not have running water in your cabin, especially if it's rural. The lodge is the only place with showers, and typically there are outhouses (sometimes compost toilets but that's rare), especially because it's so hard to get water out that far. My parents actually own a rural lodge/cabins, and they don't even use water for showers

Again, this is just because I am literally from Alaska. As I said, my parents have a rural lodge/cabins, my in-laws have a rural cabin, and I've traveled around Alaska a bit. It was also hard because I am much more north than Talkeetna, so it was funny to me that 5 degrees is cold, but that's just because I am used to much colder temps. The book was AMAZING, this is just my silly nit picky things.

Oh my goodness! What a breath of fresh HEA air. Forrest is going on my book boyfriend list immediately. Victoria Lavigne gives Abby Jimenez vibes with her writing style, which is by far my favorite. I was so hooked onto this book until the very last word.


Thank you Netgalley for my ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

10/4/24-Any Trope But You by Victoria Lavine was a beautiful story of learning to fall back in love with the idea of love. As a ‘Happily Ever After’ romance writer who has had all the romance sucked out of her life, Margot Bradley has her biggest secret released to the world—her secret Happily Never After file with all the negative endings to all of her books. When Margot is cancelled by her beloved followers and publisher, her sister sends her to remote Alaska for six weeks to learn how to push herself beyond her limits. She is also supposed to be writing a new novel, but this time it’s a murder mystery, except her characters keep finding ways to fall in love. She just cannot write a story without love in it, including her own story. Each day she finds herself in a typical love story trope with the very attractive owner of the lodge and she is determined not to fall in love! This story shows that even though her life has been anything but romantic, she can learn how to love again. Even if we’ve been hurt, there is still someone out there for us, we just might find them in unexplained places.

I absolutely loved this story! Margot’s frustration with all her Happily Ever After stories rings true for so many people. Life is NOT a romance novel. Even if we do find our “happily ever after”, it may not look like a romance novel, and THAT’S OKAY. Margot and Forrest story is such a beautiful tribute to those who sacrifice so much for those they love. Their character development was lovely and refreshing.

But, I give this a 4/5 due to the lack of ending! I really hate how romance novels just end so swiftly after the characters come together. As if that’s all it takes for a happily ever after. I’d love to have their proposal/struggles with being engaged/life styles/ wedding/ etc. What was it like in the first year or so of marriage? Did they encounter any of the same struggles? And the spice…I mean could wedding night sex get any better?? Build up to that!

Spice level—3.5/5

A huge thank you to Victoria Lavine, Atria books, and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for a review. All thoughts are completely my own!

This wasn’t my favorite, but not horrible either! One thing for me is excessive cursing is a thumb down. It just takes away from the writing in my opinion and there was quite a bit of it in this book. I found myself more interested in the relationship she had with her sister towards the end. Overall was a quick read though! Some spice in this one too.

SOOOOO freaking cute!! as someone who grew up in alaska i RAN to read this one bc its one of my favorite settings!! 🥹

this book was so heartwarming and sweet, i absolutely loved following Margots journey through out. i really enjoyed how multifaceted her and forrest felt, they also fit so well for one another.

quite literally already planning a reread of this one later in the winter bc i just could not get enough of them 😩