From BookTok to Screen: The New Wave Of RomComs

Love stories go viral: New Age of Romance 

Romance is back on screen in a major way, and audiences can’t get enough of it. Book-to-screen love stories aren’t new, but this wave feels fundamentally different. In recent years, contemporary romance novels have dominated social media, filled bookstore tables, and secured major film and TV adaptations. At the center of it all is BookTok, TikTok’s passionate reader community, which has turned authors like Colleen Hoover, Jenny Han, and Emily Henry into cultural and industry powerhouses. 

From The Summer I Turned Pretty to Red, White & Royal Blue,  including the growing slate of adaptations ahead, this new wave reveals what today’s audiences want from love stories - and why Hollywood is finally listening. In this article, Hollywood Branded explores how BookTok reignited global interest in romance and reshaped both the publishing and entertainment industries. 

the birth of booktok

In 2020, as the world went on pause, TikTok became more than a home for dance trends and memes - it became a space for connection. Out of this came BookTok, a community where readers shared their favorite titles, emotional reactions, and the stories that got them through an overwhelming time. By 2021, #BookTok had billions of views and had reshaped publishing in ways few could have predicted, with Forbes calling it “the most powerful discovery engine the book industry has ever seen.”

BookTok made reading trendy again, especially for younger audiences who once saw books as daunting or outdated. It turned reading into a social and immersive experience, instead of something confined to the comment sections of Wattpad. Users filmed themselves sobbing over endings, annotating pages, and debating ideal casts for adaptations in the comments. You’ll still see conversations circulating around books published a decade ago as if they’d just come out this year, giving them a new life.

Publishers quickly adapted to this shift, making romance more approachable by reimagining its visual identity. Once discreet or “risqué” covers were replaced with bright, playful designs and colorful page sprays. Book readers now feel proud to pick up in-store or display on their shelves. As the genre’s aesthetic evolved, so did its perception. The stigma surrounding romance began to fade, helping fuel the genre’s surge in popularity.

Photo credit: Amazon MGM Studios (Off-Campus: The Deal)

Why Romance resonates right now

As BookTok continued to grow, dating culture was shifting, too. A Vogue article titled “Is Having a Boyfriend Embarrassing Now?” captured a rising sentiment: many young women are choosing independence over the exhaustion of app culture. With real-world dating increasingly feeling superficial, performative, or emotionally draining, people began putting down dating apps and picking up romance novels instead, searching for connection, emotional fulfillment, and the fantasy of being truly seen.

Add global uncertainty and constant digital overwhelm to the mix, and it’s no surprise audiences gravitated toward stories that feel warm, sincere, and emotionally safe. Romance offered a form of comfort with narratives rooted in optimism, intimacy, and human connection at a time when all three felt harder to find in everyday life

Photo Credit: Amazon MGM Studios (The Summer I Turned Pretty)

Why This adaptation boom is different

Hollywood has adapted romance before, but not always successfully. During the 2010s book-to-screen boom, many adaptations felt rushed or one-note. Films like The Fault in Our Stars, Paper Towns, and Every Day leaned heavily into angst while skipping the relationship-building that makes romance resonate. Critics noted that these movies wanted viewers to feel something profound without fully earning it. That era was defined by urgency - quick turnarounds and copycat formulas that cut corners.

What defines this new era of romance adaptations is a commitment to expansion rather than reduction, honoring the source material by building out its world instead of simply adapting it for the screen. The Summer I Turned Pretty helped signal that shift. With Jenny Han involved as showrunner, the series lets characters and relationships unfold naturally, using visual storytelling, tone, and perspective to deepen the emotional experience. The payoff was clear: it became one of Prime Video’s biggest hits and a defining romance series of the streaming era.

Heartstopper reinforced the same idea. Its gentle pacing, emotional sincerity, and visual softness mirrored the tone of the original graphic novels. By utilizing the medium of film through cinematography and other stylistic elements, the show managed to extend the story beyond what is possible in the pages of a book. 

Watching these adaptations feels like stepping back into the book itself. Every heartbreak, every heart-fluttering moment hits just as deeply, if not even more intensely.

Photo credit: Amazon MGM Studios (Maxton Hall - The World Between Us)

Tapping into built-in audiences

When romance adaptations are made with this level of care, audiences don’t just watch - they show up. For studios and streamers, BookTok offers something rare: built-in audiences with genuine emotional investment.

We’re now seeing romance projects generate massive buzz before they even premiere. When actress Lili Reinhart posted a TikTok from the set of The Love Hypothesis, in character with her co-star Tom Bateman, the video exploded, earning over 80 million views despite the film not yet being released. That kind of anticipation, driven entirely by fandom, is something traditional marketing can’t easily replicate.

This strategy extends beyond one title. Upcoming adaptations such as Off Campus have built momentum through behind-the-scenes content and intentional cast engagement, often referencing moments only readers recognize. Actors lean into their characters online, creating the feeling that the story continues beyond the page and into the real world.

This reader-first approach has become a defining feature of the current romance adaptation wave, proving that when audiences feel seen and involved early, they don’t just tune in. They fully commit.

Photo credit: TikTok

Why This Romance Revival Matters

The return of romance isn't coincidental. In a moment shaped by burnout, constant noise, and uncertainty, audiences are gravitating toward stories that offer connection, sincerity, and the space to actually feel something. BookTok helped bring that back to the forefront, turning romance into a shared experience again. Built on community, emotion, and genuine love for these stories.

That passion is what carries romance from page to screen. These adaptations are made with care, honoring the source material and expanding the world. By building on what readers are already emotionally invested in, these adaptations foster some of the most devoted and engaged fandoms in entertainment today. 

Photo credit: Prime Video & Netflix

in the mood for more romance? 

Read more about romantic comedies, book adaptations, and TikTok's takeover in our other articles linked below, all available on the Hollywood Branded blog.

• TikTok’s Hollywood Takeover
• Power Of Product Placement In Rom Com Movies: How Brands Capitalize on Organic Opportunities
• Great Brand Opportunities As Netflix Brings Romantic Comedies Back
  
• Brand Partnerships With Movies Made From Books
  
• TikTok Trends That Are Changing the Game for Brands
  

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