2026 RNA: Debut Romantic Novel Award
A bestselling romance author flees to Alaska to reinvent herself and write her first murder mystery, but the rugged resort proprietor soon has her fearing she’s living in a rom-com plot instead in this internationally bestselling debut by Victoria Lavine.
Beloved romance author Margot Bradley has a dark secret: she doesn’t believe in Happily Ever Afters. Not for herself, not for her readers, and not even for her characters, for whom she secretly writes alternate endings that swap weddings and babies for divorce papers and the occasional slashed tire. When her Happily Never After document is hacked and released to the public, she finds herself canceled by her readers and dropped by her publisher.
Desperate to find a way to continue supporting her chronically ill sister, Savannah, Margot decides to trade meet-cutes for murder. The fictional kind. Probably. But when Savannah books Margot a six-week stay in a remote Alaskan resort to pen her first murder mystery, Margot finds herself running from a moose and leaping into the arms of the handsome proprietor, making her fear she''s just landed in a romance novel instead.
The last thing Dr. Forrest Wakefield ever expected was to leave his dream job as a cancer researcher to become a glorified bellhop. What he’s really doing at his family’s resort is caring for his stubborn, ailing father, and his puzzle-loving mind is slowly freezing over—until Margot shows up. But Forrest doesn’t have any room in his life for another person he could lose, especially one with a checkout date.
As long snowy nights and one unlikely trope after another draw Margot and Forrest together, they’ll each have to learn to overcome their fears and set their aside assumptions before Margot leaves—or risk becoming a Happily Never After story themselves.
Genre: Romance
Beloved romance author Margot Bradley has a dark secret: she doesn’t believe in Happily Ever Afters. Not for herself, not for her readers, and not even for her characters, for whom she secretly writes alternate endings that swap weddings and babies for divorce papers and the occasional slashed tire. When her Happily Never After document is hacked and released to the public, she finds herself canceled by her readers and dropped by her publisher.
Desperate to find a way to continue supporting her chronically ill sister, Savannah, Margot decides to trade meet-cutes for murder. The fictional kind. Probably. But when Savannah books Margot a six-week stay in a remote Alaskan resort to pen her first murder mystery, Margot finds herself running from a moose and leaping into the arms of the handsome proprietor, making her fear she''s just landed in a romance novel instead.
The last thing Dr. Forrest Wakefield ever expected was to leave his dream job as a cancer researcher to become a glorified bellhop. What he’s really doing at his family’s resort is caring for his stubborn, ailing father, and his puzzle-loving mind is slowly freezing over—until Margot shows up. But Forrest doesn’t have any room in his life for another person he could lose, especially one with a checkout date.
As long snowy nights and one unlikely trope after another draw Margot and Forrest together, they’ll each have to learn to overcome their fears and set their aside assumptions before Margot leaves—or risk becoming a Happily Never After story themselves.
Genre: Romance
Praise for this book
"Any Trope But You is a love letter to the romance genre and to the concept of Happily Ever Afters. Victoria Lavine manages to incorporate so many beloved tropes while telling a story that feels totally fresh and original, and she writes characters with such depth that I might have momentarily forgotten I could not request Margot Bradley's books from my local library. Plus, it may be set in frigid, snowy Alaska, but make no mistake - this book is HOT!!! A truly charming debut that had me smiling, blushing, and wishing for my own pet moose." - Sarah Adler
"Any Trope but You is truly a breath of fresh air. Touching, heartfelt and swoon-worthy with crackling banter and mastery of romantic and comedic timing, Victoria Lavine tells a story of love, failure, longing, and family against a snowy, cozy landscape. Brilliant and effervescent, with imperfect characters who live and truly learn, Lavine poetically twists tropes in a way that will have you melting through to the very end." - Peyton Corinne
"Incredibly clever, deeply relatable, and sparkling with the full spectrum of emotions, ANY TROPE BUT YOU is everything I love in a romance. Victoria Lavine is your next auto-buy author." - Tarah DeWitt
"Any Trope But You is my favorite brand of romance - Hallmark storyline with the passion turned up to the nth degree. I loved how thoughtful and relatable Margot was, and Forrest had me ready to book my own trip to Alaska to find a man like him. Readers are in for such a treat!" - Etta Easton
"Heartfelt and warm, Any Trope but You is an absolute delight and a romance lover's dream! I fell for these characters and their soft-hearted love and care for one another. A beautiful love story and a reminder that we are all deserving of our own Happily Ever Afters!" - Naina Kumar
"Lush, cozy, sweet, and incredibly sexy - Lavine's debut is like a mug of decadent hot chocolate that you've developed feelings for." - Laura Piper Lee
"Victoria Lavine writes the kind of effervescent, whip-smart prose romance readers crave. Starring loveable leads whose chemistry is equal parts electric and tender, Any Trope But You is a perfectly cozy and big-hearted romance that I know I'll return to again and again." - Ellie Palmer
"If you loved Emily Henry's Beach Read but wished it was snowier, Any Trope But You is your book! I came for the grumpy lumberjack and stayed for the cast of loveable characters! The only part of this book that isn't hot is the Alaskan setting!" - Kate Robb
"Snowy, sparkling, full of witty banter and cozy vibes, I absolutely loved this book. The characters leap off the page to meet you, the antics are delightful, and it is extremely big-hearted. I read it in one huge gulp and had a great time." - Laura Wood
"Any Trope but You is truly a breath of fresh air. Touching, heartfelt and swoon-worthy with crackling banter and mastery of romantic and comedic timing, Victoria Lavine tells a story of love, failure, longing, and family against a snowy, cozy landscape. Brilliant and effervescent, with imperfect characters who live and truly learn, Lavine poetically twists tropes in a way that will have you melting through to the very end." - Peyton Corinne
"Incredibly clever, deeply relatable, and sparkling with the full spectrum of emotions, ANY TROPE BUT YOU is everything I love in a romance. Victoria Lavine is your next auto-buy author." - Tarah DeWitt
"Any Trope But You is my favorite brand of romance - Hallmark storyline with the passion turned up to the nth degree. I loved how thoughtful and relatable Margot was, and Forrest had me ready to book my own trip to Alaska to find a man like him. Readers are in for such a treat!" - Etta Easton
"Heartfelt and warm, Any Trope but You is an absolute delight and a romance lover's dream! I fell for these characters and their soft-hearted love and care for one another. A beautiful love story and a reminder that we are all deserving of our own Happily Ever Afters!" - Naina Kumar
"Lush, cozy, sweet, and incredibly sexy - Lavine's debut is like a mug of decadent hot chocolate that you've developed feelings for." - Laura Piper Lee
"Victoria Lavine writes the kind of effervescent, whip-smart prose romance readers crave. Starring loveable leads whose chemistry is equal parts electric and tender, Any Trope But You is a perfectly cozy and big-hearted romance that I know I'll return to again and again." - Ellie Palmer
"If you loved Emily Henry's Beach Read but wished it was snowier, Any Trope But You is your book! I came for the grumpy lumberjack and stayed for the cast of loveable characters! The only part of this book that isn't hot is the Alaskan setting!" - Kate Robb
"Snowy, sparkling, full of witty banter and cozy vibes, I absolutely loved this book. The characters leap off the page to meet you, the antics are delightful, and it is extremely big-hearted. I read it in one huge gulp and had a great time." - Laura Wood
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