Any Trope But You Paperback – 1 April 2025

Margot is a romance author who after a series of disappointments has fallen out of love with love. To keep romancelandia happy whilst still maintaining her sanity, she has a top-secret side project where she gives her characters more “realistic” Happily Never Afters. Unfortunately after a hacker exposes her cynicism on a popular podcast, she gets cancelled and is persuaded by her sister, Savannah to hop on a plane to rural Alaska for a few weeks and switch genres by working on a murder mystery.When Margot arrives in Alaska, it seems like Cupid has got other plans though and after a meet-cute involving a moose called Bullwinkle, she finds herself attracted to Forrest, the son of the owner of the lodge where she’s staying. Forrest has his own reasons for steering clear of romantic relationships but as he and Margot make their way through a bingo card of tropes (only one bed anyone?), he forgets why he was so keen to keep his distance. Margot and Forrest have a lot in common particularly their dedication to taking care of their families (Margot’s sister has an autoimmune disorder and Forrest’s father is wheelchair bound) but how can it work when Margot’s life is in L.A. and Forrest’s is in Alaska?I really liked the bond between Margot and Savannah and how it’s Savannah who still believes in love and encourages her sister to be “safe but not too safe.” It was clever of her to bribe Margot to go on excursions in Alaska in exchange for letters. Margot and Forrest have great chemistry and the scene with them in the sauna is five-alarm hot. I like how caring Forrest is with those he loves and how he extends that protection to Margot even on their first excursion when she sprains her ankle and he carries her all the way down the mountain.I definitely recommend Any Trope But You and can’t wait to read more by this author.

3.5 ⭐️Thank you to NetGalley and Zaffre for the eARCI have such mixed opinions about this book but overall would say I enjoyed it.The premise of this book felt like a love letter to the romance genre and romance book community and I thought it was a really unique concept which I LOVED.Until about the 30% mark I thought I’d rate it 5 stars but I struggled with the middle of the book.It started off fast paced and witty and I felt like there was good character development. I really liked the acknowledgment of all the book tropes and the reluctance of the FMC to partake in them.I found the character development to be good and was rooting for the FMC and MMC to give in to temptation but when they did it felt very instalovey which is something I can’t stand in a book, personally. I also feel like not much happened in the mid section of the book and found it quite difficult to persevere with but I did enjoy the ending.I had such high hopes but it sadly didn’t live up to all of my expectations. I do, however, think it’s a great book for a debut and would recommend it for a quick easy read! I would also consider reading the author’s future works as I think she has great potential!

I enjoyed this book to a certain extent. I liked the whole Alaska setting, how Forrest epitomised Margot's written romance heroes and the whole 'trope' thing. I thought that Margot and Forrest's chemistry was cute. However, I found that Margot came across as quite selfish and rude. Also, the ending was quite rushed - it really could have done with more, in order to have given it a sweet and fluffy closure.

Margot Bradley, is a popular romance author, but she doesn’t believe in Happily Ever Afters. And when a super-fan hacks into her computer and leaks her Happily Never After file for all the world to see, her whole career falls apart and she is cancelled.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀But her sister, believing that Margot needs a Taylor Swift reinvention, sends her to a remote Alaskan cabin for six weeks. Once there, she literally ends up jumping into the arms of Forrest, the gorgeous and rugged owner of North Star Lodge. An epic meet-cute!⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀This was such a glorious romance. Margot was completely out of her depth in Alaska. Particularly, as her sister Savannah, had made sure that she would need to take part in all the Wilderness Expeditions. This definitely put Margot firmly out of her comfort zone and the Californian girl just did not fit in well in Alaska.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀This book, as you can imagine, was filled with tropes galore. And the author kept her tongue firmly in her cheek with these. Of course, there was only one tent. And it isn’t unusual that there is a snow storm in Alaska and Forrest and Margot get snowed in. And obviously the charming but grumpy Forrest, who looked after his father and North Star Lodge was a culinary whizz, adept with tools and was actually a genius breast cancer researcher.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀But, it was the added depth to this spicy book which I really loved. Both Margot and Forrest have pasts that have scarred them and are carers to family members. The role of carer is discussed in depth. The mental load this brings and the sacrifices that need to be made.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Such a joyous romance. I laughed and cried. What more could you want?!