Any Trope But You
Margot is a famous romance writer, but after several bad experiences with men, she’s started “screaming into her pillow” by writing alternate endings to each of her books in a secret file called Happily Never After. When one of her fans hacks and leaks the file to the entire internet, Margot is canceled. Wanting to encourage her to reinvent herself, her chronically-ill sister, Savannah, books Margot a six-week trip to Alaska to write her next manuscript. Once there Margot immediately meets Forrest who somehow embodies every single male character she’s ever written. What’s the catch?
This was a fun romp in the Alaskan wilderness. I liked the characters, especially Forrest’s family, and I appreciated that Forrest and Margot understood what it meant to sacrifice for a family member in becoming a caretaker. This deeper connection helped me overcome the instant-love trope. Speaking of tropes, this one includes so many of them that I wouldn’t be able to list them all. Because of this, it could have come off extremely cheesy or trying too hard, but it didn’t. It poked fun at romance while also celebrating it. Were the tropes turned on their heads and subverted (the way a certain favorite book of mine subtly and expertly did; I won’t make the unfair comparison here, but if you want to know, please ask)? Not quite. But the fact that the FMC was aware of all the tropes and calls them out, was a fun spin.
What didn’t work so well for me were the numerous Swiftie references. Don’t @ me. I’m being vulnerable right now and confessing that I am in the small minority who are neutral on Taylor Swift; yeah, neutral. I know it’s weird. This was also outside of my threshold for intimate scenes; I only skimmed them for plot, but they seemed detailed.
Overall, this was an enjoyable read but better suited to an audience who will appreciate every part of it.
Thank you to NetGalley and Atria for the digital review copy.
A few favorite quotes:
Interested in a luxurious, buttery hardcover of this book? Aardvark Book Club had this one as an April selection. For US residents, the code SPLASH will get you your first book for $4. Then add this one on for $9.99.
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🌶️🌶️ This book includes multiple intimate scenes; these can be skipped without affecting the book’s momentum. Scenes are located at the end of chapters 17 + 20 and most of 21 + 26.
