This book was super cute and I loved all the tropes she seemed to fall into. The adventure Margot went on to Alaska was not what she planned but I think she learned so much about herself. If you love letter writing then this book is for you. The bond with her sister was also really sweet and it was nice to read about selflessness and taking care of others.

This is the perfect book to cozy up with on a winter vacation. I may have been slightly annoyed with Margot for the whole book, but I think that’s part of her charm—she feels authentic. This book had such a great storyline about feeling like you have to care for sick relatives, and it was great how the main characters both grew in their own ways because of this. It added a great depth to the book, and this book would be a lot less if not for that storyline.

However, it was still a fun book about an author being sent away to a resort with no phone service, and accidentally learning how to fall in love. It had some great spicy scenes, but they did not feel unnecessary—it felt right within the scenes they were put and never like it was overboard. Also, Forrest is the greatest and I will die on that hill.

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

Absolutely ATE THIS BOOK UP!

It's not inherently Christmas-y but the Alaskan setting really felt perfect for reading this winter season! I absolutely loved the premise -- a romance author who is outed for not believing in HEAs retreats to the Alaskan wilderness to reinvent herself; while there she meets the sweetest angel boy whose family runs the lodge where she's staying.

Forrest -- blueprint.
The writing -- so fun. I loved how she called out the romance tropes and almost "broke the fourth wall" in these moments. It was such a fun take on exploring the stereotypical romance tropes we often find in these cute little rom-com-y books. Nearly every moment between these two had me giggling and kicking my feet.
The ending -- not my favorite; BUT I do understand why the author made the choices that she did. Just wasn't my favorite. It felt a bit rushed to me and I'm not a huge fan of this typical romance book trope -- read more below if you're okay with the slightest of spoilers of what trope I'm referring to

Something I really loved throughout this book was no miscommunication. It's rare that there's a third act breakup without miscommunication, but it was done really well.

All in all, definitely a fun read. Well written. Very witty. Innovative handling of stereotypical tropes.
- meet cute
- "enemies" to lovers
- forced proximity
- one tent
- "just one kiss and I'll be over it"

Thank you Atria, Victoria Lavine, and NetGalley for the ARC copy of this book!

Any Trope But You by Victoria Lavine
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶🌶🌶🌶

Honestly, I thought this ARC that @netgalley so generously sent me was going to be cheesy and overdone. The trope of alll the romance tropes forcing someone who doesn't believe in love to fall in love? It was going to be cliche.

I WAS WRONG

I never admit to being wrong, ask my husband. But this was done really well and even though all the tropes were there, it didn't feel forced or cheesy. Margot and Forrest are both flawed and adorable characters that fight their attraction even as the universe shows how perfect they are for each other. It was a sweet, slow burn, then deliciously spicy romance- I highly recommend!


I'm sure I missed some, but these are the major tropes:
-slow burn
-just one bed (tent)
-enemies to lovers
-he's a doctor
-he takes care of her
-fish out of water
-meet cute
-romance writer doesn't believe in love

Thank you to Netgalley, Victoria Lavine, and Atria Books for the ARC of this!

Set against the breathtaking backdrop of Alaska, Any Trope But You follows Margot and Forrest as their story brings together all the beloved romance tropes we know and love. While the narrative is playful and self-aware, it also touches on deeper, heavier topics that add heart and emotional weight to the story.

While it took me a little time to become fully invested, once I did, I was hooked. This book truly feels like a love letter to the romance genre, and it’s so well written. I loved Margot and Forrest just as much as the side characters, and the stunning Alaskan setting made me want to go back! Given that this is Victoria Lavine’s debut, I can’t wait to see what she writes next!

Huge shoutout to Netgalley for making this arc available to me! This book is more than just a cute cover, it’s a fun wintery romance. Dare I say it is more than just a romance, as Margot and Forrest discover what it means to make big mistakes and that they don’t have to be permanent.

Margot as a character is easy to fall for, even not believing in HEAs, she is an incredible character. At first I didn’t love her as a character, and seemed she was all talk and no brains. But I quickly realized she had more depth to her, and she had her own internal struggles that made her act in those ways.

As for Forrest, he was the stereotypical romance guy. But that was the whole point of his actions, and I loved reading it. The self awareness of tropes in this book was sooo fun, and I loved this book a lot (I promise I’m unbiased).

4.5! This is a phenomenal debut! I would never have guessed this was a debut - the writing, the pacing, the characters, the tension, and the side characters were so great and so well thought out. Very reminiscent of Emily Henry and especially Book Lovers (my favorite!).

Seeing Margot and Forrest go from people who are determined to hate each other to learning more and more about each and the similarities they share that’s it’s impossible for them to stay away from each other. They are so well matched and understand each other in such a meaningful way - I loved this especially in when we see Margot and Forrest get into points of contention where at least one of the characters thinks this is going to be the moment it all comes crashing down and yet the other character responds with empathy and understanding in a way no one else has.

and the tension!!!! the chemistry!!! again profoundly impressive for a debut to capture this so perfectly. the TENT scene! The SAUNA! I cannot wait to see more from this author!

Thank you Netgalley and Atria books for the arc in exchange for an honest review!

This book has everything I want from a romance: a cozy setting, a slowish burn, a little spice, banter, and main characters with heartwarming back stories.

And this is the author’s debut?! Ugh, I can’t wait to read more from her ❤️

“But the thing I’ve learned about hollowness-the kind that’s carved from pain-is that the deeper it goes, the more room it leaves for love. And when love finally rushes in, it fills every dark and twisty crevice with a light almost too brilliant to bear”

I can see how this is truly a love letter to the romance genre and the community of readers who love these stories. This was a fun read set in the wilderness of snowy Alaska. I found it to have both warmth and depth.

This was sharp, funny, and utterly transporting. I could swear I was in the cold, clear air of Alaska last night. Then one of my kids said something and I turned around to realize I was reading this book in a disconcertingly dimly lit pool in a Holiday Inn Express in Iowa. (Don't worry, my husband was on lifeguard duty.)

If you're looking for a romance with A+ banter, heart, and a plot that does not hinge on miscommunication, this is the book for you.

This book absolutely captured me from the beginning! Any Trope But You had all the tropes you would want in a rom com especially with it being hilarious, a little spicy, and heartfelt.

Margot is romance writer that has gone through so much heartbreak that she ends up not believing in happily ever after's. She created a file that created a happily ever after for each of her published stories and it unfortunately gets leaked and her fans try to "cancel" her. Margot's sister books her a trip to Alaska to get her to forget what is going on but also to try at writing a new genre. Immediately as she gets to Alaska she runs into Forrest who is all the traits you want in a perfect guy in a romance novel. This might sound traditional, but the way Victoria Lane wrote this story was so sweet and kept hooked from the beginning. The banter is great, the growth for Forrest and Margot had individually was amazing, and I loved the representation on how illness and accidents can put on a family and how caretaking can be difficult to grasp for the main characters. I loved this Victoria, you did absolutely amazing!

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for providing me an ARC to review!

I found the lack of research behind the male love interest's schooling to be distracting and all that he was able to achieve in 24 hours of the day was super unrealistic. I thought the female protagonist was so annoying and I could not get past how she asked him for iced water as if he was a butler.

When romantic comedy writer Margot Bradley attempts to rebrand her image and write a murder mystery novel, she accidentally ends up living her own romantic comedy. In remote Alaska she meets Forrest, an inn owner who is somehow a perfect combination of the best parts of her male main characters. Wilderness retreats, a domesticated moose, and snowy nights make for the perfect setting for this story.

Their adventure together is not only swoon-worthy, but it made me want to attempt my own remote Alaskan retreat! This book is full of the best parts of a romantic comedy, and it was so easy to fall into Margot and Forrest's story. They are both compassionate, entertaining, and worthy of their main character roles. I didn't want this story to end!

The only negative to this book? The fact that this is Victoria Lavine's first novel, so I can't immediately dive into another book written by her. Victoria, please tell me you are working on another project - I'll be first in line to read it!

It was a cute winter read! I loved the slow burn aspect and the mix of sweet and spicy. I wasn't a massive fan of the constant modern-day references, and as someone who loves bookstagram, I feel like someone would have been confused if they weren't a part of the community. Otherwise, I enjoyed the romance!

This was a decent read overall, but a little unsatisfactory at some points. What I did like was Margot’s character development over time - I really liked how her beliefs changed and that even when she didn’t think they’d end up together, she still was grateful to have had that relationship with Forrest. I liked how she sort of redefined what a Happily Ever After was for herself. I also thought the relationship between Margot and Savannah was really sweet but also realistic - I loved that Savannah was able to see how their codependency was bad for both of them. I also in general thought the writing was engaging and the side characters were sweet.

But what left me unsatisfied was the main romance itself. Mainly because first of all, I’m sorry, Forrest is too perfect. I get that this is supposed to be as many tropes as possible fit into one book, but it felt like he’s more trope than human. Really? A handsome experienced Alaskan outdoorsman who cooks, runs the lodge, repairs the sauna, cares for his sick dad, AND he’s some sort of medical prodigy with an MD/PhD?! And then he reads like six of her romance novels within a couple of weeks?!? Where is he finding the time?!

To top it all off, he’s also basically perfectly behaved with Margot. He never gets truly mad at her (even when she’s rude to him), he apologizes when appropriate - the one time she starts to think he’s displaying a mild red flag behavior, he immediately stops, apologizes, and backtracks. I get that romance is escapism, but it was a little too much flawlessness for me to like him. He didn’t seem real.

Another aspect that I disliked was the halfhearted sort of “enemies to lovers” trope forced into the beginning. Margot jumps in his arms out of fear, and then she’s embarrassed, I get it. She wants to be more formal and establish some space. But Margot crosses the line into being a bit unlikeable when she starts ordering him to fetch her bags and bring her water. I don’t think that quite hit the right tone. The “enemies to lovers” thing could have developed enough on its own just because of how inexperienced Margot is with Alaskan life, with the fireplace and underpacked for camping scenes. I felt like in comparison to perfect Forrest, Margot’s character was kind of sandbagged to add this kind of conflict. Not just because she didn’t know anything about living in Alaska, but also because it felt like she was sometimes a bit mean to him when he wasn’t doing anything to deserve it. I didn’t fully understand his attraction to her at times. Like when he suddenly realizes she’s the “strongest person he’ll ever meet - just because she completed a hike?? Felt a little out of place.

Also, I think a little more research and proofreading could have helped. The biggest thing that kept taking me out of the book was the fact that Caltech doesn’t have a med school. It’s famed for its research in physical sciences, engineering, compsci, etc, which isn’t really as used for cancer research. UCLA would have been a better pick. Also, when he spends two hours carrying her down the mountain bridal style - that’s very impractical. He should have had her get on his back and carry her down that way - any rescue-trained person would know that piggyback is much preferred and easier to maintain long term.

There were also minor wording and grammar issues that should be changed - eg. the book uses the term “capableness”, which I think should be “capability”. And there’s a part where the book says “seems too good to be true? It isn’t.” which implies it IS what it seems and IS true. It should be “seems too good to be true? It IS”. Meaning it is fake and thus too good to be true.

But I still think this was a fun read and I would read more works by this author in the future.

I may be a little biased, but any book about Alaska automatically has my heart! Aside from being a former Alaskan resident I loved the tropes in this one! It was a very fun read, definitely recommend!

“Any Trope but You” by Victoria Lavine is an example of how to write a romance book that hooks you and keeps you entertained throughout. The premise is simple: a jaded romance author is canceled and shipped off to Alaska to find herself again, even if she doesn’t want to. While there, she meets the quintesential cinnamin roll of a man who is hiding behind a tough, icy exterior. It’s a fish-out-of-water romance at its heart but I think there is more to it. It’s a story about accepting your flaws, stepping out of your comfort zone, and finding yourself among the snow and ice.


I really enjoyed reading this book. I found myself connecting to the character of Margot. If you are looking for a spicy but cozy read that hits you in the heart and makes you kick your feet and smile - I would recommend reading this book.


Thank you to Netgalley and Atria Books for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

4.5 stars! This book was so cute and spicy. But it had depth. Each characters back story and what they had in common really drove this story home. When characters are the only two to really see each other, in all their beautiful messes… Man, is that what I want to read. I think true romance comes from being able to be raw with someone and this book really captured that. Neither of the main characters were perfect and at multiple times in the book you want to shove them face first into the snow… but that’s what makes it real. I loved that this was about a romance author who stopped believing in HEAs, because that moment has happened to every one of us. I like to think that’s what brings us to romance… to hope in spite of it all, even when there’s been a million reasons to never hope again. This genre is always there to really hold space for you, and that was really what this whole book was about.

You know I am a sucker for a writer being one of the main characters… so we knew a 4+ star was coming from me.

Margot is a romance writer who ends up getting cancelled after her happy never after file gets leaked to all of her fans in a live interview. Suddenly the queen of romance gets outed as the one person who doesn’t believe in HEAs. In her attempt to lick her wounds, her sister sends her to Alaska to write her next great novel… This is where mountain Daddy Forrest comes in. From their meet cute to every trope she is trying to avoid, Margot realizes that sometimes when you least expect it, the romance of your dreams can change your mind. This is heartfelt, it’s funny, the banter really banters… and you understand that sometimes when we think we are caring for everyone in our life, it sometimes looks a bit like hiding from living our own.

Thank you NetGalley and Atria books for the ARC… It was gorgeous.

This was so cute! I am so excited for this sweet and fun winter wonderland romance. I was worried about the overuse of tropes and the "TikTok-ification" of this romance novel in particular, but I think the author walked the line between plot and trope very well. This was a lot of fun, and I would definitely recommend this to my friends.

A romance book set in Alaska?? Yes please! The romance was so sweet and I felt that the buildup was done well. This was so cute!!