Any Trope but You

In Lavine’s often humorous, sometimes heart-wrenching debut, a jaded romance author navigates a slew of rom-com tropes. After bestseller Margot Bradley’s secret folder of alternate drafts where she breaks up fan-favorite couples leaks to the public, her sister, Savannah, sends her to a resort in Alaska to ride out the outrage. Upon arrival, Margot’s shocked to learn that the retreat is entirely off the grid and that she’s expected to participate in weekly wilderness excursions. Worried about leaving chronically ill Savannah with no way to contact her, Margot panics, but Savannah’s left her a letter explaining that Margot must go on the excursions each week to learn how brave she is. After completing each outing, she’ll receive another letter. Margot isn’t sure what terrifies her more: the excursions or the man leading them, who seems to have stepped out of a romance novel. Forrest Wakefield, a “doctor for a worthy cause” with “muscles for days,” is in Alaska caring for his ailing father. As he and Margot repeatedly end up in rom-com scenarios—forced to share only one bed, for example—she realizes that the situations she always scoffed at writing really might lead to love. It’s sweet to watch the leads bond over their mutual understanding of caretaking and sacrifice. Readers will have no trouble rooting for this pair’s happy ending. (Apr.)