10 BookTok Hits Headed to Your TV Screen

Book lovers have had ample cause to rejoice of late. It feels like almost every week a new announcement rolls in, confirming that another popular book series is set to be adapted for the screen.

BookTok — the subcommunity of TikTok dedicated to creating and distributing content about books — has radically changed the entertainment industry in the past few years, and it feels like its impact on television is reaching a fever pitch.

What started as talking about popular reading trends online has increasingly evolved into a powerful pipeline for TV adaptations.

Multiple streamers are tossing their hats in the ring in hopes of acquiring and adapting the latest viral sensation, and studios’ bets on snapping up the rights to BookTok hits seem to be paying off. 

Popular romance novels have provided the source material for some of the biggest runaway hits of recent years (think The Summer I Turned Pretty, Off Campus, and Heated Rivalry), and networks are banking on tapping into the power of readers.

As a fellow book lover feeling spoilt for choice, I’m thrilled that so many of the books that line my shelves are now waiting their turn to take shape on my screen.

But while I can’t wait to see how many of these beloved stories come to life, as studios increasingly make a grab for the latest online hit, I’m left wondering which stories actually have the power to become adaptations worth watching. 

We’re rounding up the buzziest BookTok sensations currently in the works for a TV adaptation, spilling all the tea on where they’re at in development, and confessing whether we’re excited to see them make it to their pilot episode.

Fourth Wing

Status: Pre-production, ordered to series at Prime

Every romantasy lover has been patiently waiting for news about one of Prime’s most anticipated series.

I can’t even refresh my TikTok feed without seeing a new video speculating on Fourth Wing’s latest developments and hopefully soon-to-be-announced cast.

Based on the runaway hit Empyrean series by Rebecca Yarros, Fourth Wing follows twenty-year-old Violet Sorrengail as she leaves behind the quiet life of a scribe in Navarre.

At the command of her mother, the military general of Navarre, Violet enters Basgiath War College, a brutal military academy that trains up-and-coming dragon riders.

Fourth Wing is known and loved for its tension-filled enemies-to-lovers relationship, rich ensemble cast, crazy twists, and high-stakes plot.

It has the potential to make an excellent epic fantasy TV series centering a female protagonist, with chronic illness representation to boot.

Production of Fourth Wing hit a snag after it was revealed that Moira Walley-Beckett (of Breaking Bad and Anne with an E) had departed as showrunner. However, Amazon announced at their recent upfronts that Meredith Averill, executive producer of Wednesday Season 2, has been tapped as her replacement.

Fourth Wing is being produced by Michael B. Jordan’s production company, Outlier Society.

While casting has not been announced yet, I’m excited to see who they choose for these iconic characters, especially after they explicitly announced their commitment to hiring a diverse cast. 

Rose Hill

Status: Pre-production, ordered to series at Prime

Amazon is sticking to its guns and betting big on romance. 

Based on the bestselling romance series by Elsie Silver, the Rose Hill series follows best friends and neighbors West Belmont, a rancher with commitment issues; Ford Grant, a brooding billionaire record-label owner; and West’s sister, Rosie.

But when country-pop star Skylar Stone comes to their small mountain town, sparks fly and drama ensues. Heidi Cole McAdams (The 100, Stumptown) will serve as writer, showrunner, and executive producer. 

There are currently four books in the Rose Hill series: Wild Love, Wild Eyes, Wild Side, and Wild Card.

It’s unclear how Prime plans to tackle the first season, and whether they plan to blend the plots within the novels’ first few books or stick to the serialized approach that’s becoming popular with shows like Bridgerton and Off Campus. 

In the books, Rose Hill is a fictional mountain town in the Canadian Rockies.

As yet another installment in Prime Video’s rapidly growing slate of romance series, we’ll see if Prime sticks with its love of Canadian settings in this adaptation, too.

Chestnut Springs

Status: In development at Netflix

Elsie Silver is having a moment! Of the author’s three completed series, two are in the works with major streamers.

Elsie Silver cornered the small-town cowboy romance market, and it’s clear that an adaptation of her works will capitalize on the surge in interest in Westerns.

Chestnut Springs and Rose Hill may soon be part of our broader collection of shows centering rugged cowboys and ranchers, joining the likes of the Yellowstone franchise, Dutton Ranch, and Ransom Canyon. 

Five interconnected Chestnut Springs books have been published to date: Flawless, Heartless, Powerless, Reckless, and Hopeless.

Set against the backdrop of a small Canadian ranching town, Chestnut Springs follows the Eaton brothers and their tight-knit community.

Chestnut Springs has a romance trope for just about everyone; you can take your pick between forbidden love, friends-to-lovers, or grumpy/sunshine.

I’m most excited to see the plot of Heartless make it to the screen and get the chance to fall for single dad Cade and his free-spirited nanny, Willa, all over again. 

Unlike Rose Hill, Chestnut Springs has not yet been ordered to series.

Both series bring small-town charm and family drama, and if cowboys stay hot, I can see both of Elsie Silver’s works being quite the success.

Icebreaker

Status: Pre-production, ordered to series at Netflix

How much hockey romance is too much hockey romance?

Hockey may have exploded in popularity in the world of romance novels, but I worry that for TV adaptations, another series will just invite comparison to its successful predecessors.

Studios often have to learn the hard way that it costs them more to nip at the heels of past success than to take a bet on something new.

Icebreaker follows college student Anastasia Allen, a competitive figure skater with her eyes on Olympic gold.

But when Anastasia is forced to share the rink with Nate Hawkins, a hockey player equally determined to go pro, tension quickly turns to heat strong enough to melt the ice. 

I read and thoroughly enjoyed the book, especially because it’s reminiscent of my 90’s comfort movie, The Cutting Edge.

This series could be successful if Netflix leans more into figure skating than hockey, tapping into fans who felt the loss of Netflix’s untimely cancellation of Spinning Out.

Boys of Tommen

Status: Pre-production, ordered to series

One of Prime Video’s most hotly anticipated YA book adaptations has officially found its cast, and production is slated to begin this year!

Boys of Tommen pulls from the first two books in Chloe Walsh’s Boys of Tommen series: Binding 13 and Keeping 13.

These novels follow the forbidden love story of star rugby player Johnny Kavanagh and the shy, talented Shannon Lynch, the new girl at the prestigious Tommen College in Ballylaggin, Ireland.

Both teens have secrets — Johnny nurses a potentially career-ending injury, and Shannon lives a violent and troubled home life. 

The show has selected an entirely Irish cast, giving us viewers the opportunity to see fresh new faces on our screens.

The cast includes Nancy Surridge (Shannon), Conor Sánchez (Johnny), James O’Donoghue (Joey), Sophie McGibbon (Aoife), Amelia May (Claire) and a slate of new actors to round out the large ensemble. 

With all the positive buzz, I’ve bumped this series up to the top of my reading list!

The Love Hypothesis

Status: Film premieres on September 23 on Prime Video

Ali Hazlewood’s novels have amassed a legion of avid fans who absolutely adore her spicy romances that focus on women in STEM.

One of the most anticipated rom-com films of the year is an adaptation of her first novel, The Love Hypothesis.

The story follows PhD student Olive, who agrees to a fake-dating arrangement with notoriously gruff biology professor Dr. Adam Carlsen.

Olive is portrayed by Lili Reinhart, and Dr. Adam Carlsen by Tom Bateman, and the casting has made quite the splash among fans who know the book’s lore.

The Love Hypothesis is famously inspired by Reylo, the hotly contested enemies-to-lovers ship between Rey and Kylo Ren in the Star Wars VII-IX films.

In real life, Bateman is married to Daisy Ridley, who portrays Rey, and fans can’t get enough of the coincidence.

I blew through the book in a day and found the structure and pacing absolutely perfect for a rom-com film. I can’t wait to see how it comes to life.

One Golden Summer

Status: Second season of Every Year After renewed at Prime Video

Prime released the first season of its recent YA romance series Every Year After earlier this summer, which adapted Carley Fortune’s novel Every Summer After.

The series has been renewed for a second season, which will now center on Charlie’s love story, the focus of Fortune’s novel One Golden Summer.

After the cliffhanger ending of Every Year After Season 1, I’m glad to see Charlie get a chance to recover and have a story of his own.

I’m eager to see where they take his character; after somewhat flattening his arc in Season 1, we’ll see if they can effectively make him a compelling romantic lead.

Windy City

Status: In development at Prime Video

Amazon MGM Studios has landed the rights to Liz Tomforde’s bestselling Windy City romance series, another series of interconnected standalone romance novels. 

This series capitalizes on the hot trend of sports romance, following a close-knit group of five professional athletes in Chicago as they navigate falling for the strong women who unexpectedly enter their lives.

It’s yet another show that could focus on hockey players, but we get the chance to diversify things a bit with some baseball and basketball as well.

The acquisition rights were announced in May, and Emmy-nominated writer Alison McDonald has been tapped to write and executive produce. 

Powerless

Status: In development at Prime Video

Prime has more romantasy in the works, with the YA fantasy series Powerless currently being adapted by Daphne Ferraro, the head writer of the first season of Maxton Hall.

Powerless is set in the kingdom of Ilya, where Elites reign supreme with their magical powers and hunt those without them.

Paedyn Gray, a powerless Ordinary thief, is thrust into the kingdom’s savage Purging Trials, where she becomes entangled in a forbidden romance with Prince Kai.

As someone who read the first book in the series, I can say this is an adaptation I could live without. The series itself has experienced its fair share of controversy, with many readers noting its many uncanny similarities to Victoria Aveyard’s 2015 Red Queen series.

While I recognize there is no such thing as a truly original idea, the plot of Powerless feels incredibly derivative from other fantasy and dystopian hits of years past, with very little to set it apart from its predecessors. 

Twisted

Status: Early development at Netflix 

The rights to Ana Huang’s Twisted series were announced last January as part of a seven-figure option deal, and there have been no subsequent announcements since. A director and showrunner remain unattached.

The plot is based on Huang’s four-book steamy new-adult series, which follows the lives of four best friends and their brooding love interests. 

The first book, Twisted Love, centers on young photographer Ava Chen and the grumpy, revenge-driven billionaire Alex Volkov, as they navigate a forbidden relationship and many family secrets.

When I read the series, Alex felt like a caricature of the ideal dark romance boyfriend — insanely rich, traditionally attractive, super possessive, and with washboard abs — and little made him stand out as a unique main character.

I’m intrigued to see whether the show adds a little color that helps its leads stand out.

Can you believe this list of upcoming BookTok adaptations is not exhaustive?

Multiple romance and romantasy series have recently sold film or television rights.

They include Jennifer Lynn Barnes’ The Inheritance Games, Tahereh Mafi’s Shatter Me series, Callie Hart’s Quicksilver, and SenLinYu’s Alchemised, a dark fantasy adapted from the popular Draco and Hermione fanfiction, Manacled.

While no new updates have been released for these series, it’s clear romance and romantasy fans will not be short on content for a long while yet. 

Tell us, TV and book fanatics, which of these series are you the most excited about? Which ones could you live without? Who would make up your dream casts? We want to hear all your thoughts in the comments below!