Book Review: Any Trope but You by Victoria Lavine

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Rating: ★★★★
Audience: Contemporary Romance
Length: 336 pages
Author: Victoria Lavine
Publisher: Atria Books
Release Date: April 1st, 2025
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

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 earnestly spectacular debut by a stunning new voice.

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.

Thank you to Simon Audio for the gifted audiobook.

WELL I ENJOYED THE HECK OUT OF THIS.

Rather ridiculous to start (and fearing for my star rating) I persevered through the beginning chapters and found a book that had some resemblance to The Simple Wild (not a copycat, promise, just some vibes), and that I was charmed by. The resistance to the romance tropes only brought Margot and Forrest closer together and I am here for it all.

I will say having TWO 20-30 minute chapters that were solely spice was not my favorite (and that wasn’t the only spice here). I could have used less of that but I can’t deny how much of a connection I felt between these two resistant love birds. They were charming, fought hard, and loved harder.

All of that caretaker moments were felt. I loved seeing both Forest and Margot learn to live their OWN lives and still help and care for those most important to them. The side characters truly added to this book and I loved loved loved Margot and her sister’s relationship. There was a lot of goodness woven into this book.

Overall audience notes:

  • Contemporary Romance
  • Language: moderate
  • Romance: 4+ open door
  • Violence: low
  • Content warnings: loss of a family member (recounted)

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Book Review: This Could Be Us (Skyland #2) by Kennedy Ryan

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Rating: ★★★★☆
Audience: Contemporary Romance
Length: 416 pages
Author: Kennedy Ryan
Publisher: Forever
Release Date: March 5th, 2024
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Soledad Barnes has her life all planned out. Because, of course, she does. She plans everything. She designs everything. She fixes everything. She’s a domestic goddess who’s never met a party she couldn’t host or a charge she couldn’t lead. The one with all the answers and the perfect vinaigrette for that summer salad. But none of her varied talents can save her when catastrophe strikes, and the life she built with the man who was supposed to be her forever, goes poof in a cloud of betrayal and disillusion.

But there is no time to pout or sulk, or even grieve the life she lost. She’s too busy keeping a roof over her daughters’ heads and food on the table. And in the process of saving them all, Soledad rediscovers herself. From the ashes of a life burned to the ground, something bold and new can rise.

But then an unlikely man enters the picture—the forbidden one, the one she shouldn’t want but can’t seem to resist. She’s lost it all before and refuses to repeat her mistakes. Can she trust him? Can she trust herself?

After all she’s lost . . .and found . . .can she be brave enough to make room for what could be?

BEAUTIFUL.

I loved this book y’all. It brought me close to tears multiple times and I loved so many themes throughout. How deeply motherhood has been woven into Soledad’s soul touched my soul too. I love how fiercely she loved her daughters and valued who they are and her place as a Mom. It was empowering and encouraging. Kennedy Ryan writes some of the best children characters I’ve ever read. They all are attached to my heart and are the sweetest souls.

The romance was beautiful too. I didn’t love the benefits angle that it had for most of the relationship but I adored the chemistry between Soledad and Judah. I loved how patient and endearing Judah was. How he allowed Soledad to find herself and was okay with waiting. I think the time jumps worked well in the beginning too because I was concerned at what the timeline was going to look like from the initial drama of the beginning.

Kennedy Ryan is an incredible writer and I lover her storytelling powers. I look forward to her future books!

Overall audience notes:

  • Contemporary Romance
  • Langugage: moderate
  • Romance: 3+ open door
  • Violence: low
  • Trigger/Content Warnings: divorce, cheating spouse, imprisonment

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Book Review: I Knew He Was Trouble (Sweeter Than Fiction #1) by Amanda Schimmoeller

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Rating: ★★★★☆
Audience: Contemporary Romance
Length: 280 pages
Author: Amanda Schimmoeller
Publisher: ABS Publishing, LLC
Release Date: March 13th, 2025
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

I’ve never needed help from anyone. I certainly don’t need it from the infuriating doctor next door.

I loathe my uncivil neighbor and the loud music he blares before the sun has risen. Even the dogs I walk—for one of my four jobs—despise him.

I’d be happy never seeing him again. But when he becomes his niece’s guardian for a few months and is in desperate need of a nanny, I begrudgingly accept the position.

How can I refuse when the salary he offers will allow me to open my dog rescue? It’s a win-win. Or a lose-win, depending on how you look at it. I mean, I still have to be around Tyler, and I would never consider that winning.

But the more time I spend with him, my cold indifference is melting away. And the way he’s starting to look at me feels more molten than icy.

I knew that Tyler was trouble from the moment I met him, but now I think I might be the one in trouble…of losing my heart.

I Knew He Was Trouble is an enemies to lovers, next-door-neighbor romcom with sizzling chemistry but no explicit content. It’s the first book in the Sweeter Than Fiction series, following four best friends finding love.

Thank you to the author for a gifted copy.

THIS WAS DARLING.

I adored this book and it is officially my new favorite by Amanda. I loved the connection between Tyler and Kelsey. There’s some playful banter and a prank war that doesn’t get out of control and lots of good forced proximity moments. (*note: I do consider this a sweet version of enemies to lovers not a full blown enemies mode). And I will say I LOVED how the preconceived notions were handled between them.

I loved watching Tyler and Kelsey interact and constantly found myself wanting to pick up this book. It’s light and sweet and brought me some joy. The chemistry was FELT and gosh do I love good kissing scenes.

There was a minor quip I had about the third act and with Evie. Do five year old’s have homework every day and ballet dance solos? Because that didn’t quit click for me. Otherwise Evie was really cute and a fun addition to the story (and maybe we get her mom’s book too??).

ANYWHO. A delightful read. I love a strong female friendship group. The Taylor Swift references are fun and I look forward to reading more in this series.

Overall audience notes:

  • Contemporary Romance
  • Language: none
  • Romance: kisses

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Book Review: Off the Wall (Only Magic in the Building) by Julie Christianson

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Rating: ★★★★
Audience: Contemporary Romance + Magical Realism
Length: 328 pages
Author: Julie Christianson
Publisher: Self Published
Release Date: April 9th, 2025
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

She’s in search of her soulmate. He avoids love at all costs. These neighbors are a total mismatch … until serendipity steps in.

Nori Sinclair has two goals in find the husband of her dreams, and purchase the beloved tea shop in her hometown, Serendipity Springs.

So when Nori finds herself short on funds to land a business loan, she joins a dating app that pays her to be their featured single in a month-long ad campaign.

Per her contract, all men are off-limits, except those matched for her by Swipe Rite.

This seems simple enough… until she keeps seeing herself in every mirror holding hands with Cash Briggs.

AKA her aloof, unavailable neighbor.

After a career-ending injury, ex-baseball player Cash is on a mission to help others who’ve been shattered like he was, inside and out. With his sights firmly set on a job in Los Angeles, he doesn’t have time for family or friends, let alone a relationship where he’d only get burned. Again.

Continually having to rescue Nori—his flustered neighbor, who seems desperate to avoid him—was not part of his plan.

While Cash and Nori fight their growing attraction, magnetic elements in their magical building draw them together, until they’re forced to choose between breaking all the rules or breaking both their hearts …

REALLY SWEET.

This book just made me smile. I feel like all of these books have brought the smiles. This series has been such a delight!!

I loved both of the main characters, Nori and Cash. I thought there was charming banter and chemistry from the beginning. The way Cash constantly found ways to be around Nori (even when he was resisting his feelings) was my absolute favorite. I love when a man is GONE.

The mirror aspect didn’t quite click for me, I felt like I never understood what was happening? I’m not sure it was needed for this book. (**I’ve also noticed that this is the third book in this multi-author series with the same dating a bunch of guys format and that felt a little repetitive**).

I enjoyed the Cash and Nori overcame their problems and started to lean on each other. There were really great characters ARCs. This was sweet and romantic and easy recommend.

Overall audience notes:

  • Contemporary Romance + Magical Realism
  • Language: none
  • Romance: kisses
  • Content warnings: loss of parents (off page, brief)

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