10 Romance Books I'd Love To Be Turned Into Movies
If Netflix was hiring someone to read books that potentially could be turned into movies … SIGN ME UP. Honestly, I’ll do it for free. If anyone from Netflix is reading this, feel free to slide in my DMs.
I read a lot of romance books. If you have been reading my blog for a while now, then you would know that I read a lot of romance books. That being said, I think there is a significant gap between the amount of romance books and new romantic comedy movies. I love romantic comedy movies—but why aren’t they being made every few years? We have a couple coming in 2024 (blog post coming soon) that I’m excited for, including one with Sydney Sweeney and Glen Powell, but I think there should be more. And with the growing number of romance books coming out, Netflix (and other streaming platforms) needs to step up their movie-making game.
(I am fully aware that it takes more than a few months to make these movies. A lot goes into writing the script, getting the script auctioned to a production company, finding a director, casting, and so much more. I still think there needs to be more work into making more rom-coms, but society still doesn’t think that “female” or “girly” movies are worth making, even post-Barbie.)
The Cheat Sheet by Sarah Adams
If I had to pick any book by Sarah Adams to be adapted into a movie, it would have to be this one. (Although, I can make a very strong case to Netflix and other streamers to turn all of her books into movies.) But if I had to choose one, it would be this one. It’s a classic childhood friends to lovers, sports and football romance (Taylor and Travis!!). It’s also a fake dating romance. Need I say more? Do I honestly need to say more? Nathan and Bree are two characters that more people need to meet (and fall in love with). And the second book in the series is just as good, with The Rule Book!! It’s literally right there in front of you, Netflix.
The Bromance Book Club by Lyssa Kay Adams
You know how Netflix and other streamers and production companies love to hire men for rom-com movies? Because they’re leading men and can attract a female audience? This is the perfect book to cast those men in. You can literally cast 5-6 attractive actors as the men in this bromance book club. There are FIVE books where each man can have their own movie. It’s like your own little Marvel Cinematic Universe. This is a movie where men literally read romance novels. Women will FLOCK to this movie, and then force their male partners to read the romance books. (Idk, this is just an assumption.) Need I say more?
The Wedding Date by Jasmine Guillory
I think this is already in the works with Reese Witherspoon’s production company, Hello Sunshine. They bought the rights for the first three books in this Wedding Date series. I get it—there’s already a rom-com movie called The Wedding Date, but I have to say, Jasmine Guillory’s version is and the movie will be better.
Get A Life, Chloe Brown by Talia Hibbert
Again, I think I heard this book’s film rights (and the other two books in the Brown sisters trilogy) have been bought by a studio! I don’t know which studio, but I am SO excited to see this on the screen. Chloe Brown is a character that helped so many girls feel seen and heard. And the same with her sisters. I really think there’s a lot of great opportunities for fun scenes, since Chloe, with the help of her neighbor, Ren, embarks on an adventure to do more adventurous things.
Dating Dr. Dil by Nisha Sharma
This fun book (and the other series!) is literally based on a Shakespeare play. The book literally says if Shakespeare was an auntie. I think it would be a really fun movie, with lots of fun banter and romantic scenes. It also illustrates Indian culture (and weddings) so well. Netflix, what are you doing?
Flawless by Elsie Silver
There needs to be more cowboy, small town romance movies. And not just on Hallmark! Elsie Silver’s books are a perfect gateway into cowboy romances, and more generally, small town romances. This would be a perfect enemies to lovers romantic movie with lots of banter and hot cowboys milling about. Netflix (or whoever the streamer who gets the rights to this) can create a cozy small town atmosphere that can eventually turn into four other movies (because there are four other books in the series!).
Tweet Cute by Emma Lord
Honestly, this book is for the Jenny Han fans. Young adult romance movies do so well, at least explained by To All The Boys I Loved Before and The Summer I Turned Pretty franchises. Emma Lord’s book Tweet Cute is a perfect example to adapt into a movie for Netflix (or any other streamer). This was a modern day, young adult You’ve Got Mail retelling, but instead of old computers and chat rooms, it’s via rival restaurant Twitter accounts over a grilled cheese. Think about the fun marketing! You can design an entire marketing campaign just by using Twitter.
Take the Lead by Alexis Daria
To be honest, Alexis Daria’s book You Had Me At Hola would probably be the more likely choice to be adapted into a movie, but I just love this book so much and I think would it be so much fun to turn into a movie. This one is for all the Dancing with the Stars fans. A brawny, hunky guy from the Alaskan wilderness who claimed fame from his family’s wilderness show is going on a DWTS type show and is partnered with a petite young dancer. The two couldn’t be more opposite, however, the chemistry sparks right away. For everyone who theorizes over DWTS potential romances, this one’s for you. At this point, I don’t know why potential studios haven’t picked up on this DWTS fictional romance.
The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood
I think this romance, this STEM romance, would be perfect for Netflix. It’s new and different—I don’t think that there has been a rom com where the main characters are scientists or even, in general, the STEM field. Especially the female main character in the STEM field. This book exploded on Booktok and I think it would be a big hit.
The Neighbor Favor by Kristina Forest
Okay, when I was looking at my bookshelf to list out books that I want to be adapted into movies, this one made the list. Like, when I first saw the cover, I was like, this would make a FANTASTIC rom-com movie. It would give Set It Up vibes where it’s kind of a workplace romance. It’s also a book about books, and a movie where it’s set in the publishing world? That would be amazing. The female main character, Lily, is an editorial assistant who starts emailing her favorite author. Months later, post-email conversations, she meets Nick, her neighbor. They strike up a friendship, but the two have a growing attraction. However, Lily doesn’t know that Nick is the author she was emailing for months. Only Nick was writing under a pen name. This was giving You’ve Got Mail and I think this would make an incredible, cute, delightful romantic comedy movie. Plus, there’s an entire section of the book where it’s just the emails, and I think that could be translated onto screen really well.
What about you? Do you know of any books that would make great movies? Let me know in the comments below!