In Victoria Lavine’s sparkling debut novel, “Any Trope but You,” readers are treated to a meta-romance that playfully examines the very tropes it employs while delivering a moving story about trust, vulnerability, and finding love when you least expect it. Set against the breathtaking backdrop of Alaska’s wilderness, this novel perfectly balances sharp wit with genuine emotion, creating a reading experience that’s both intellectually engaging and deeply satisfying.
The Premise: Romance Author Who Doesn’t Believe in Love
Margot Bradley, a New York Times bestselling romance author, harbors a secret that would devastate her devoted fanbase: she doesn’t believe in Happily Ever Afters. After having her heart broken one too many times, Margot crafts the perfect public persona while privately maintaining a “Happily Never After” file filled with cynical alternate endings for her characters. When this file is leaked during a live online event (in a scene that had me both cringing and laughing simultaneously), Margot’s career implodes.
With her reputation in shambles and a chronically ill sister to support, Margot agrees to her sister Savannah’s solution: a six-week retreat to a remote Alaskan lodge to reinvent herself as a murder mystery writer. What she doesn’t expect is to literally fall into the arms of the lodge’s proprietor, Dr. Forrest Wakefield, a former cancer researcher caring for his ailing father.
Characters That Feel Wonderfully Real
Lavine’s greatest achievement in this novel is her character development. Margot and Forrest are far more complex than standard romance leads:
- Margot Bradley – Beyond her cynical exterior lies a woman deeply scarred by abandonment and betrayal, beginning with her father’s departure during her sister’s childhood illness. Her devotion to her sister Savannah provides the emotional backbone of the story, showing how her capacity for love remains intact despite her claims to the contrary. Margot’s journey from romance skeptic to tentative believer feels earned rather than forced.
- Dr. Forrest Wakefield – A brilliant researcher who abandoned his career to care for his father, Forrest carries his own emotional baggage around loss and duty. His struggle between obligation to his father and his growing feelings for Margot creates genuine tension. What I particularly appreciated was how his scientific mind approaches emotions—with careful analysis that eventually gives way to heartfelt vulnerability.
- The Supporting Cast – From Savannah’s meddling optimism to Trapper’s (Forrest’s father) gruff wisdom, the secondary characters add depth rather than simply serving the main romance. Even minor characters like Jo (the lodge’s manager) and Ollie (a young guest with his eye on Margot) feel distinctly realized.
Setting as Character: Alaska in All Its Glory
The remote Alaskan setting isn’t just backdrop—it’s practically a character in its own right. Lavine’s descriptions of the snow-blanketed wilderness, the towering mountains, and the brilliant northern skies create an immersive experience:
“Evergreens march down a dramatic valley to where a powerful river cuts through the snow-clad earth like a dark serpent, resisting winter’s command to freeze. Beyond, in a distance so vast my brain struggles to grasp it, are mountains. Snowcapped and eternal, they make the dusty hills surrounding Los Angeles look like piles of pebbles.”
The isolation of the lodge heightens the emotional intensity between the characters, while activities like ice fishing, trekking through snowstorms, and sitting in steamy saunas create situations that force Margot and Forrest to confront both their attraction and their reluctance to pursue it.
A Romance That Doesn’t Shy Away From Depth
What elevates “Any Trope but You” beyond typical rom-com fare is its willingness to explore deeper themes:
- Caregiving and sacrifice – Both protagonists have devoted their lives to caring for family members with health challenges, creating a unique bond of understanding between them. The novel thoughtfully examines the complex emotions of resentment, guilt, and love that accompany long-term caregiving.
- Identity and reinvention – Margot’s journey isn’t just about finding love; it’s about reconciling her public and private selves. Her struggle to write authentically while protecting herself from further hurt resonates deeply.
- Trust after trauma – Both Margot and Forrest must overcome past wounds to open themselves to new possibilities, and their hesitancy feels authentic rather than manufactured for plot purposes.
Trope-Awareness That Enhances Rather Than Distracts
For a novel that centers on romance tropes, it would be easy to fall into winking self-referentiality that pulls readers out of the story. Instead, Lavine’s approach enriches the narrative. When Margot mentally catalogs the tropes she’s experiencing—enemies to lovers, forced proximity, there’s only one bed—it heightens both the humor and the emotional stakes, as she realizes she’s living the very story she no longer believes in.
The moments when Margot discovers Forrest embodies multiple romance hero archetypes (the bearded mountain man, the brilliant doctor, the devoted son) are particularly delightful. As she notes with exasperation: “On top of all the appointments and hassle involved with reporting the HNA leak to the authorities and increasing my computer’s security, I’ve helplessly watched as my reputation has gone up in higher and higher flames.”
The Heat Factor: Chemistry That Sizzles
Readers looking for steam won’t be disappointed. The tension between Margot and Forrest builds masterfully, with their first intimate scene in a remote sauna during a blizzard hitting all the right notes of vulnerability, desire, and emotional connection. Lavine writes these scenes with a perfect balance of sensuality and emotion, focusing on the characters’ internal experiences as much as the physical.
Minor Critiques
While “Any Trope but You” is an impressive debut, a few elements could have been stronger:
- Pacing in the final act – The extended separation after Forrest’s father suffers a medical emergency feels slightly prolonged, with the emotional resolution arriving rather quickly afterward.
- Plot convenience – A few developments (like Savannah’s conveniently timed letter revelations) feel a bit too neatly arranged to drive the plot forward.
- The antagonist’s motivation – The hacker who exposes Margot’s secret file feels underdeveloped, appearing more as a plot device than a fully realized threat.
- The sister’s independence – While Savannah’s move toward independence is ultimately positive, the execution happens largely off-page, making it feel somewhat abrupt.
A Voice to Watch in Contemporary Romance
Victoria Lavine’s writing style combines sharp humor with emotionally resonant observations. The dual perspectives give readers insight into both main characters without becoming repetitive, and the dialogue crackles with witty banter while remaining grounded in authentic emotion.
For a debut novelist, Lavine demonstrates remarkable assurance in her craft. Her meta-analysis of romance tropes never feels gimmicky, instead serving as a fresh lens through which to explore genuine human connection. The characters’ emotional journeys feel earned rather than contrived, and the happily-ever-after arrives with satisfying emotional impact.
Who Should Read This Book
“Any Trope but You” will particularly appeal to:
- Romance readers who enjoy self-aware narratives that both celebrate and subvert genre conventions
- Fans of Emily Henry (Beach Read), Ali Hazelwood (Not In Love), and Tessa Bailey (The Au Pair Affair)
- Readers who appreciate romances with substantial emotional depth and complex characters
- Anyone looking for a winter-set romance with a vivid sense of place
- Those who enjoy dual-perspective narratives with equal character development
Final Verdict: A Standout Debut
Lavine’s debut novel achieves that rare balance of being both a love letter to the romance genre and a fresh take on its familiar patterns. With complex characters, genuine emotional stakes, and a romance that feels both steamy and substantive, “Any Trope but You” signals the arrival of a promising new voice in contemporary romance.
The novel’s exploration of how stories shape our expectations of love—and how real love often defies those expectations—resonates long after the final page. For a debut author, Lavine shows remarkable confidence in her storytelling, combining humor, heart, and heat in a package that’s hard to resist.
Whether you’re a devoted romance reader or someone who, like Margot, maintains a healthy skepticism about happily-ever-afters, this novel offers a reading experience that’s as thought-provoking as it is enjoyable. “Any Trope but You” isn’t just a romance; it’s a meditation on why we tell ourselves stories about love in the first place—and why, despite our best defenses, we keep hoping they might come true.
