Romance novels are all over the big and small screen. Bridgerton, Virgin River, The Hating Game, One Day, Red, White & Royal Blue—they’ve all drawn huge audiences and proved, again, what romance readers have always known: these stories can work. Their source material is rich with tension, grounded in emotion, and built around the thing most screenwriters claim to want—strong characters whom viewers connect with and care about.
More adaptations are coming. Beach Read and People We Meet on Vacation are in production. The Kiss Quotient, The Unhoneymooners, and Not In Love have been optioned. Ana Huang’s Twisted Love series is headed for television. These are all high-profile titles with wide appeal, and here’s hoping their screen versions please romance lovers the way the print one do.
Honestly, I’d love to see many more.
Julie Anne Long’s Pennyroyal Green series is at the top of my list. Give it the time and scope of a prestige drama and let the ache build properly. Meredith Duran’s Rules for the Reckless series deserves a serious adaptation—one that trusts its audience to follow the quiet devastations alongside the big moments. Kristan Higgins’s Blue Heron books would make a beautiful, funny, (at times) heartbreaking series if the writers understood that humor doesn’t cancel out depth. And I’d love to see Alyssa Cole’s Runaway Royals adapted with its intelligence and joy intact.
For films, I’d start with Forever Your Rogue by Erin Langston, Eleanore of Avignon by Elizabeth DeLozier, and Bride by Ali Hazelwood. Each of these novels has the kind of focused emotional arc that suits a feature format—provided, of course, the adaptation honors the book’s tone, pacing, and conclusion. For me, a romance only works on screen if the people making it treat the story and its ending with respect.
Which romance novels would you like to see adapted? And what are your criteria for doing it right?
Ana Huang? Really? How are they going to handle the sex scenes? They’re not the kinkiest I’ve read by any means, but not exactly vanilla like Bridgerton. Besides, the plots don’t really have enough drama for TV. Like 99% of adaptations, they’ll probably change stuff they shouldn’t or add some unnecessary drama.
I hear a few romantasy authors have adaptation deals but that doesn’t mean they will get produced. For example, ACOTAR series came to nothing. At the same time, Fourth Wing is still in in development, so given the books’ popularity and studios chasing the next Game of Thrones, maybe they’ll do something with it.
I could see the Empyrean series for sure for the reasons you mention.
A friend of mine asked recently why there are no adaptations of Georgette Heyer’s novels. Is this an intellectual property issue, or are the novels just unadaptable?
It might be, as a friend told me Heyer’s work is still covered under UK copyright law.
One of her books, The Reluctant Widow, was made into a movie and it was so awful she vowed to never again let it happen. I don’t know if that is still in effect, but I watched that film—about half of it anyway—and it was truly dreadful. I can understand her reaction,
I could see a thoughtful and careful adaptation (no Bridgerton nonsense) of These Old Shades, Devil’s Cub and An Infamous Army working as a series. The books are related and the culmination at Waterloo is a terrific read.
I do know that the copyright situation is complicated re. Heyer. A few years ago Naxos Audiobooks released a dozen new audio versions – most of them excellent – and I remember chatting to the MD of the company who told me he’d love to record more but that they rights are a mess! Maybe that applies to visual adaptations, too.
I would love to see several Mary Balogh novels, such as The Bedwyn Saga or her Dark Angel series. I think if they were produced similarly to Belgravia, they would be perfect for television. And you can always close the bedroom door – very rarely do her sex scenes make up a large part of the plot.
The Survivor series would also be good, although some of the stories are on the dark side.
Yes!
Part of me would love this and part of me worries that there’s no way to get Wulfric right for everyone.
I think Sarah J Maas is having her book’s made into a tv series.
Although I really love Meredith Durans book’s I wouldn’t want anyone to touch them I don’t trust recent writers and directors, producer’s I think they would mess it up.
I’m a big fan of IWAV by Anne Rice and they really messed the TV series up ,terrible writing and acting. Sets look good but that’s as far as it goes
“Although I really love Meredith Durans book’s I wouldn’t want anyone to touch them I don’t trust recent writers and directors, producer’s I think they would mess it up.”
You and me both!
Connie Brockway’s The Other Guy’s Bride. Feels like it could be super easily adapted with mains like Gal Gadot or Chris Hemsworth.
I used to dream of adapting the Alinor series to film. Some of it might not pass muster in this day and age. But it would be worthwhile.
I actually prefer to read romances – I’ve been disappointed so often by on-screen adaptations of romance novels, I’m happy to stick to print!
As much as I love to read romance, I usually cringe at the film adaptations. There have been a few exceptions, but I avoid watching romance on the screen.
I’m not a big romance watcher either. I know Bridgerton is popular and successful, but I can’t watch it. To me, it’s made by people who think they know what makes a good romance, but in reality have no idea. I’d rather not have any more of my favourite romances ripped to shreds TYVM.
I’d like to believe it’s possible! I love rom coms–I think the industry is doing a better job of making romances recently.
With most book-to-screen adaptations, I almost always prefer the book but I often still enjoy the show. Sometimes it actually helps if there are major differences as I can then consider the show to be just loosely inspired by the book. TV series Bridgerton is a good example. It has so many big changes from the books (interracial society, major storyline for Featherington family) that I can just like it for what it is.
I feel this way about a lot of Hello Sunshine adaptations–Daisy Jones and the Six, Big LIttle Lies.They’re just different enough and good enough that I enjoy them both as adaptations and as art in and of themselves.
As the thoughts of the hero and heroine are half the fun I am totally uninvested in even my favourite romances (The Spymaster’s Lady, A Week to be Wicked) making it on screen. I would love a sketch show to film, “the goat scene” from The Wallflower Wager though.
I’d suggest a series that is more mystery than romance but has a romance at its core – J.D. Robb’s In Death series. Both the hero and heroine are strong and original enough to hold viewers’ interest and they develop individually and as a team over the series. I don’t like every book in the series but, with 60 books published so far, there would be enough storylines for producers and screenwriters to be selective. Oh, and there’s scope for some spectacular special effects in a futuristic New York.
This might be one of the few books-to-screen series I think has the potential to be well done. The small screen has a decent history of doing police procedurals and suspese/mysteries well. Throw in the romantic elements and the great side characters, and this could be a winner.
I mean, I’d love to see well done Jane Austen-esque adaptations of Georgette Heyer, for example, but I honestly think the suspense angle might make this kind of adaptation more likely to be adapted in a satisfying way.
This is probably a little obscure but I think Nora Roberts’ series about the MacGregor grandchildren would be great onscreen with a bit of modernization. The books I am talking about are The MacGregor Brides, The MacGregor Grooms, The Winning Hand and The Perfect Neighbor. Basically a bunch of good-looking cousins of various professions who one-by-one fall in love, with their grandfather Daniel poking his nose in behind the scenes to tie all the stories together (that would be a bit of comedy!).
I’d like to see Tessa Dare’s Castles Ever After series adapted into a show! The setting would be gorgeous and different. The books have levity and great dialogue that I think would sparkle on screen if done correctly.
That’s a great idea!
I love movies nearly as much as I love books.
You can make a great movie with nearly any kind of material. The maltese falcon, The godfather, Blade runner, The exorcist, Jaws, Breakfast at Tiffany’s, Gone with the wind, Apocalypse Now, —to name a few of US classics that you could be familiar with—, used books as their starting point.And in many cases the films are a lot better than the books.
I’d love to see something like that with romance novels. The problem is that to achieve that, you need a desire to make a good movie / TV series, not just put into images a book that has sold a lot in order to use the fame of the book. I’m afraid that any romance adaptation nowadays would be just that, so I really don’t want to see any of the love stories I like made into mediocre audiovisual products.
Having said that, I think that many romantic suspense novels would make great action movies. I’m thinking about Rachel Grant’s Flashpoint series or Suzanne Brockmann’s Troubleshooters, for instance.
But the one author that has written books that really sound like scripts for the silver screen is Tal Bauer. It’s amazing.
I also think–and, yes, this is sexist–that most of what makes it onto the screen is chosen and directed by men. And, routinely, they don’t seem to get romance.
In fairness, most of the great romance movies of the golden era were made by men, including Casablanca. And at a time when women were barely allowed in the writing room, much less in directing, producing, or executive positions. Just my .02, but I think the problem is that accountants make most movies today. People with an eye on a sure profit and with less interest in producing something lasting than in creating something popular.
I hear you. I think though, that adapting a romance novel has rarely been done well by men.
What’s interesting is that “Jane Eyre” has been adapted into many film versions, as has “Wuthering Heights,” and of course “Pride & Prejudice.” Why these and not others? The Hallmark Channel offers a plethora of Christmas-themed romances, while Lifetime has leaned more into mystery/suspense. Some of these can veer toward bland and formulaic, but their success is indisputable.
Today’s film universe is dominated by the Marvel and DC franchises, or other sequels to “Star Wars” or “Jurassic Park.” Producers in the finance-driving-seat pass on Risk. They aim for the fences and big audiences.
Like you, I long for a well-adapted romance. Have we boxed ourselves in, I wonder. Seems to me we confine romances to Heroine-in-Charge today. Heroes aren’t interesting, they’re second-bananas. I crave banter and psychological wrangling between two strong leads. Maybe I’m not reading the right stuff.
Many of us still reach for our Go-To’s when it comes to romance movies, from “Casablanca” to “An Affair to Remember,” “The Notebook,” “The Way We Were,” etc. prefer a strong male lead. Think of what “Sound of Music” would be like without the cool cynicism of Christopher Plummer.
Heroes aren’t interesting, they’re second-bananas
One of the things I have lamented about the women’s fiction/romance hybrids that permeate today’s contemporary romance market is the loss of a hero. The concentration on the woman’s journey in these novels makes the male lead practically an accessory to her shiny new life. This isn’t necessarily a good thing or a bad thing, but it is definitely a thing.
Agreed. As a hero-centric reader, I’d find the relegation of the hero to “accessory” in so many of the new contemporary/WF hybrid novels very frustrating. Which is probably one of many reasons I don’t read them!
I groan every time I see there’s to be yet another Jane Eyre/Sense & Sensibility etc. etc. There’s so much fabulous 19th literature out there begging for adaptation yet the producers resort to the same handful of books every time. I confess I do think there has yet to be a definitive Jane Eyre in the same way that the 1995 Andrew Davies adaptation of P&P is definitive – but we already have excellent versions of Emma (Romola Garai), North & South (Richard Armitage), Vanity Fair (the 90s Andrew Davies one) The Way We Live Now (David Suchet) and others. But of course, those aren’t all romances in the sense we’re talking about them. I have to agree with Dabney that most men – and men do still control the movie/TV industry and what gets made – just don’t get romance.
Netflix has another version of Pride & Prejudice on the way. I think every 20-25 years someone looks around and says, “Hey, don’t the ladies like Jane Austen?”
Well, at least it’s promised to be faithful to the text.
https://www.netflix.com/tudum/articles/pride-and-prejudice-cast-photos-release-date-news
I’ll believe that when I see it. Olivia Coleman as Mrs. Bennett is a great casting choice though. I really like Jack Lowden in Slow Horses, but I’m not sure he’s a Darcy, and I’ve never heard of the actress playing Elizabeth.
* groan *
My thoughts exactly. Focus Pictures is doing another Sense and Sensibility as well.
Ugh. There are already excellent versions of P&P and S&S out there, and there are plenty of other books they could choose to adapt!
Again, it shows such a failure of imagination.
And, possibly, a lack of awareness about all the other fab books out there that would translate well to the screen.
“Seems to me we confine romances to Heroine-in-Charge today. Heroes aren’t interesting, they’re second-bananas.” Sadly, so very true these days. It’s why I have read so much less romance in the last couple of years.
I feel as if I should write a piece about “Why I like, really like, men.”
I miss Nora Ephron, and what is Nancy Meyers doing these days?
The studios aren’t using her–Netflix was working on something with her but decided it was too expensive.
It’s funny cause I’m in the middle of a re-read of Julie Anne Long’s Hot in Hellcat Canyon series and was thinking this morning that this would make a great mini-series. But, along with a lot of you here, I don’t trust anyone to do it justice. I know someone mentioned it earlier in the thread and I’ve said it over and over again… the material is there – all they need to do is cast it and shoot it, but they NEVER do that. There is such amazing material, dialogue, locations in all of these romances but Hollywood gets a hold of it and manages to screw it up. I agree with The Pennyroyal Green series, The Bedwyn Saga, and would add LKs Wallflower series. Instead of another Jane Austen reboot, they could mine some new territory. I think you are right, Dabney, the “men in charge” just don’t understand. Although, you would think Shonda could have done a halfway decent job with Bridgerton and she also managed to mess that up.
IMO, Bridgerton would have faired much much better if someone who understood the historical romance subgenre heck even just romance as a whole, was in charge of bringing it to the screen. That’s definitely not Shonda