Having read almost 400 romantic comedies since I stumbled upon this genre less than three years ago, I’ve discovered that my absolute favorites are the ones that poke fun at the tropes themselves (looking at you, Nora, from Book Lovers!). With Any Trope but You, Victoria does exactly that through Margot. All the tropes that make us smile, swoon, and giggle are cleverly woven throughout, almost like a game of “Where’s Waldo,” making the Happily Ever After even more rewarding – especially when the one person who knows all the rules does everything in her power to avoid falling victim to the magic they bring.

Bestselling author Margot Bradley has the life most romance writers dream of: adoring fans, a new book deal, and a monumental interview that promises to boost book sales, solidify the success of her upcoming book, and secure the lifestyle she needs to care for her sister. What the world doesn’t know is that Margot has been living a lie.

Happy Ever Afters are fairytales for the naive – at least in Margot’s eyes – and her true feelings about romance are hidden in her secret “Happily Never After” file, where she writes endings grounded in harsh reality. This little outlet kept her balanced and is one of her best kept secret, even from her sister – until an interview goes horribly wrong, when someone hacks her files and shares them with the world.

Now canceled, ousted, and with her newest book (set in Alaska) officially scrapped, Margot is left reeling, unsure of what to do next. That is, until her sister comes up with a “brilliant” idea: six weeks off the grid in Alaska to reinvent herself and take a stab at a new genre – mystery. With no other options and an inability to say no to her sister, Margot reluctantly agrees and embarks on what she considers one of the worst ideas ever: a trip to North Star Lodge.

One moose encounter, a gorgeous lumberjack straight out of her novels, and a classic meet-cute later, Margot quickly realizes her new home (with no internet, by the way) is a prison of tropes. Determined not to become one of the characters in her own books, Margot steels herself, unleashes her icy demeanor, and keeps as much distance as possible between herself and Forrest. She’s in Alaska for one reason only: to salvage her career. No distractions!

Dr. Forrest Wakefield misses his life in Los Angeles, but for now, his home is North Star Lodge as he cares for his father, who is recovering from injuries sustained in an accident. Having left behind his work in cancer research, Forrest now focuses on helping maintain the lodge and caring for its guests – a role he almost single-handedly ruined when he got too cozy with a guest, leading to a scathing review.

The past is the past, and Forrest thought he’d learned his lesson – until the moment a gorgeous blonde literally jumps into his arms out of nowhere. Stunned by the most beautiful woman he’s ever seen, he quickly reminds himself of the mistakes of the past and vows to put as much distance between them as possible.

But as time passes, and both Forrest and his unexpected guest begin to let their guards down, they start to realize that maybe romance tropes hold a little more truth – and a little more magic – than they ever thought possible.

This book is hysterical! The wit is off the charts, and I’ve lost count of the number of one-liners that deserve recognition. Is it odd that my favorite character in the entire book was Savannah, Margot’s sister? Don’t get me wrong – Margot nailed the woman-scorned vibe, and Forrest did every trope justice, but Savannah had me cracking up every single time she spoke or wrote to her sister (especially the less heartfelt, more humorous letters!).

I loved how realistic the third-act breakup was. Honestly, I appreciated how realistic the entire story felt (within fictional reasoning, of course). You had two people who selfishly tried to take care of someone they loved, putting everyone and everything before their own needs and happiness. When their ultimate commitment was tested, there wasn’t some magical resolve – Trapper didn’t suddenly get better, and Savannah didn’t magically decide to move to Alaska so Margot could stay. Instead, “reality” took the wheel, and what would likely happen in real life unfolded in the story. Both characters understood what needed to be done and went their separate ways, no matter how much it destroyed them.

I also loved how the secondary characters took the reins of the Happily Ever After. These were the people who recognized how much those they cared about were sacrificing in the name of honor and duty – and how they were paying the price for it. They delivered a much-needed slap of common sense, reminding them that they didn’t need to be martyrs for their loved ones to survive. In fact, their selflessness was doing more harm than good.

Obviously, a book that’s a montage of the greatest tropes was bound to have steam, spice, and everything nice – and Victoria did not disappoint. What made it even more entertaining was Margot’s commentary as the “expert,” poking fun at how romance often hypes up certain situations, only to find herself validating their possibility in her own “real world.” It almost gave hope to the idea that, if we’re lucky, real life might just reflect fiction.

There were moments that could have cast shadows over this sunny story, but Victoria did an exquisite job keeping it lighthearted. Even after Trapper’s seizure, he remained his funny and lovable self. The same goes for the flashbacks to Forrest’s mom – she was depicted as strong, empowering, and a true force of nature, still commanding respect even postmortem.

What I loved most of all was how the story didn’t rely on a grand gesture or wrap everything up magically in the end. Time didn’t simply pass, with everyone forgetting and forgiving Margot – she had to be vulnerable, humble, and truthful, hoping it would work out. Similarly, Forrest didn’t magically get back the grant he turned down. The continuation of the story felt grounded and realistic, more in line with what might actually happen to someone we know – again, within reason.

An ode to everything romance books stand for, Victoria knocked it out of the park with this debut novel. Any Trope But You pays homage to everything we know and love about romances, while shining a light on the most dedicated community out there – romance readers. As Victoria said (and my shelves can confirm): we buy all the books!