Small Talk: Talk of the Ton

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[pigs-in-space]

I’m curious- if you could have picked another historical romance series to adapt, which would you choose? I feel like a couple of Lisa Kleypas series would work (the wallflowers or the Hathaways). The Spindle Cove series by Tessa Dare would also be a cute one. I’m not a huge fan of Julia Quinn but I hope this does well so we might get some future romance adaptations.

[ouinason]

I like Grace Burrowes' books, but that would be hard to pick a series out of since there are like 5 but they are all connected to each other.  

[DearEvette]

Netflix seems to have gotten smart and realized that romance novels are a billion dollar industry and are now looking to tap into that. They've already adapted Robyn Carr's Virgin River series and Sheryl Woods' Sweet Magnolias series.   I think this will do great. It is getting media saturation in areas that those two adaptations didn't receive.

Even though if I my choice to adapt a romance series, this wouldn't have been it by a long shot, I do think it is a good choice because the books have a lot of light-hearted humor.

If it were me I'd go with a Mary Balogh.  Probably her Bedwyn 'Slightly.." series. or Alyssa Cole's Loyal League series.

For a single book adaptations I'd love to see The Grandy Sophy or The Talisman Ring by Georgette Heyer.   I think it is a failing of the movie/tv industry that the only name they seem to know when it comes to costume drama romance to be adapted is Jane Austen, when Georgette Heyer has a pretty big influence and following and (unpopular opinion alert) I think her books are better.

 

[scarynikki12]

I'd be ok with a Malory series PROVIDED that they don't have Tony, James, and Georgina's family take over the show like they did the books. Let's get some focus on Amy's siblings first.

 

[dkb]

On 10/17/2020 at 5:29 AM, pigs-in-space said:

I’m curious- if you could have picked another historical romance series to adapt, which would you choose? I feel like a couple of Lisa Kleypas series would work (the wallflowers or the Hathaways). The Spindle Cove series by Tessa Dare would also be a cute one. I’m not a huge fan of Julia Quinn but I hope this does well so we might get some future romance adaptations.

Agree with both of your picks - but especially Tessa Dare. Her books have a funny streak going through them, which I love. I would go for her Girl Meets Duke series over Spindle Cove.

My other picks would be any of Sarah MacLean's books, any of Courtney Milan's books, and Eloisa James' The Wildes of Lindow Castle series. 

[ouinason]

Oh, yes, the Wildes!

I would also Like to see the Sherbrook's series by Catherine Coulter as a show.  Granted, the first book is a little dated, but I adore those siblings.

[Nidratime]

Not historical romance, but I wouldn't mind them adapting Susan Elizabeth Phillips' Chicago Stars series.

[Slakkie]

The Hathaways I would DIE for!!!  Well I would take the Wallflowers as well.

[katha]

I'd love the Bedwyns by Balogh because I think Wulfric is one of the best romance heroes created in the last decades. Of course that always leaves a lot of potential for really screwing him up in the adaptation, but I'd take the chance. 😉 The Bedwyns aren't the nicest lot around, so it would create dynamic plots and a chance for character evolution.

The Hathaways have really interesting ingredients as well. And Cam Rohan is another really unusual and super awesome romance hero, really breaking with the traditional aristocratic lot. If they want two seasons, they can also segue the Wallflower series into a Hathaway series. Though I find the Wallflower series a bit static, I like the first one, "Secrets of a Summer Night", the best.

The Pennyroyal Series by Julie Anne Long is also nice, though very convoluted at this point. And I confess, I mainly want it for "What I Did for A Duke" (IMO one of the best romance novels ever) LOL.

[TheOtherOne]

I think Elizabeth Hoyt's Maiden Lane series would lend itself well to an adaptation. A lot of books, a lot of characters, plenty of drama and plots with a lot of action.

Edited December 26, 2020 by TheOtherOne

[midge]

On 10/17/2020 at 4:29 AM, pigs-in-space said:

I’m curious- if you could have picked another historical romance series to adapt, which would you choose? I feel like a couple of Lisa Kleypas series would work (the wallflowers or the Hathaways). The Spindle Cove series by Tessa Dare would also be a cute one. I’m not a huge fan of Julia Quinn but I hope this does well so we might get some future romance adaptations.

I was coming here to add this very sentiment.   Both the Wallflowers and the Hathaways would make for great source material.  I mean if someone could adapt A Devil in Winter well I would be their biggest fan.  

[ouinason]

I want the Bar Cynster books to be done.

[Atlanta]

On 12/26/2020 at 12:52 PM, midge said:

I was coming here to add this very sentiment.   Both the Wallflowers and the Hathaways would make for great source material.  I mean if someone could adapt A Devil in Winter well I would be their biggest fan.  

Yes, please! I love the Wallflowers and Hathaways. Not as big of a fan of Kleypas's recent historicals that are an off-shoot of Wallflowers. If either of these were adapted, please stick to the source material as much as possible.

[bijoux]

I'd be up for Hathaways. For historic siblings series, I'd also suggest Chase's Carsingtons. I'd also say her Scoundrels series, but I haven't read it all so I can't judge. 

[BlackberryJam]

I do not want the Lindsey Mallory Family series because James and Anthony turned into such jackasses.

[bijoux]

On 12/26/2020 at 6:52 PM, midge said:

I was coming here to add this very sentiment.   Both the Wallflowers and the Hathaways would make for great source material.  I mean if someone could adapt A Devil in Winter well I would be their biggest fan.  

I love The Devil in Winter, but the first two books I couldn't finish. The first one simply bored me and I found the heroine of the second one exhausting and infuriating. I did finish the last one, but wasn't impressed by any account. So without some great casting and rewrites, I don't know that I'd be interested in a whole series. 

[chaifan]

Personally, I could do without any more "romance" adaptations.  Though I do wish Netflix would purchase Harlots and pick up where Hulu dropped it. 

[Nidratime]

Quote

Personally, I could do without any more "romance" adaptations.  Though I do wish Netflix would purchase Harlots and pick up where Hulu dropped it. 

Romance is a pretty big genre and pours into almost every other genre. This would be like saying, I wish Netflix wouldn't do anymore mysteries.

[Door County Cherry]

Honestly, I think it's about time there were adaptations of romance novels.  It's the best selling literary genre by far and yet I can't believe it has taken so long for TV producers to use them for source material.  

That's not to say they haven't adapted books with a romantic focus before but they're more likely to do that for books considered literary over straight up romance. 

[pigs-in-space]

I feel like the only "adaptations" we really get are the occasional ones that are adapted for Hallmark (which are then very mild on the heat scale). I want so many more steamy adaptations!

[Nidratime]

Maybe it's the Hallmark effect, but cable/broadcast television has tended to only adapt the most sugary, small town, goody-two shoes romances that are mostly very unexciting and perpetuate a lot of prejudices against the genre. And, frequently, they will cast older actors who are too old for the parts. It's refreshing to see them adapt a spicier romance with actors who are age appropriate. I haven't watched much of it but I think the Virgin River series has also been doing a good job. That book series, even though set in a small town, does not pull its punches.

[Door County Cherry]

3 hours ago, pigs-in-space said:

I feel like the only "adaptations" we really get are the occasional ones that are adapted for Hallmark (which are then very mild on the heat scale). I want so many more steamy adaptations!

That's true. I forgot about those.  They usually adapt a subgenre of romance--Christian romance.  They're not always super religious but they're very clean.  

I do remember CBS used to air these movies based off of Harlequin novels back in the day and they kept some of the racy bits that are usually discarded in the adaptation.  

But regency is new.  I used to be obsessed with them back in the day. Like way back in the day.

[kaygeeret]

I did enjoy the first Bridgerton series and hope they continue.

I would LOVE any of Amanda Quick's books, series (small series to be sure, but still).  The writing and plots are great and often combine a mystery with the entire romance aspect.  Quick is a pseudonym used by Jayne Ann Krentz for the historical series.  Very well written and plotted with some humor as well.

I could get behind Lisa Kleypas and Stephanie Laurens as well.

 

 

 

[BlackberryJam]

I am LOVING the attention this show is getting and hope it means good things for Romance as a genre. For too long it's been considered just for spinsters with cats. Not to mention how the casting of this show goes right along with the implosion and hopefully, rebuilding of RWA. It's about time romance got some respect and proper inclusion of races, sexualities, nationalities...

[Atlanta]

If you want some Jane Austen with some time traveling and a modern protagonist, Lost In Austen is hilarious. You can watch the mini-series on Youtube. 

 

[DearEvette]

18 hours ago, Nidratime said:

Maybe it's the Hallmark effect, but cable/broadcast television has tended to only adapt the most sugary, small town, goody-two shoes romances that are mostly very unexciting and perpetuate a lot of prejudices against the genre. And, frequently, they will cast older actors who are too old for the parts. It's refreshing to see them adapt a spicier romance with actors who are age appropriate. I haven't watched much of it but I think the Virgin River series has also been doing a good job. That book series, even though set in a small town, does not pull its punches.

This is so true.  And not just that, the Hallmark/tv stuff has moved from adaptations to original works that is just a cookie-cutter formula recycling the same plots and the same actors.   I was never a huge Debbie Macomber fan, but man, Hallmark ruined her for me in perpetuity.

Netflix's adaptation of Virgin River is much better than anything Hallmark, but I couldn't stick with it.  It made the cardinal sin of messing with the dynamic of the main characters, Mel and Jack from the book.  This is where Bridgerton got it right, imo.  They made all their tv adaptation changes to the side characters, or created new characters, but they kept Simon and Daphne's book vibe completely intact.  Virgin River kept Mel and Jack apart too long and created an other woman drama that does really exist like that in the books. 

The romance genre is massive and has so many sub-genres.  I hate that they insist on only seeing this one tiny little corner of it.  I am hoping the success of the Bridgertons changes some of that.  Hopefully not just for Regencies either.

[chaifan]

39 minutes ago, Atlanta said:

If you want some Jane Austen with some time traveling and a modern protagonist, Lost In Austen is hilarious. You can watch the mini-series on Youtube. 

 

OMG.  I saw this years ago, and loved it!  It was on Hulu back then.  It's just 4 episodes, and a really fun, quick watch.  Glad it can be found on you tube. 

[pigs-in-space]

I'm still thinking I would do an awful lot to get a Spindle Cove series.

I know Beverly Jenkins mentioned one of her books was optioned (Forbidden, I think?), and Alyssa Cole also hinted that one of her series (The Runaway Royals) has been optioned. Here's hoping they get picked up! I'd hate to see only cishet white women getting deals. I know optioning is only the first step, but still...I'm optimistic!

[Ohiopirate02]

27 minutes ago, pigs-in-space said:

I'm still thinking I would do an awful lot to get a Spindle Cove series.

I know Beverly Jenkins mentioned one of her books was optioned (Forbidden, I think?), and Alyssa Cole also hinted that one of her series (The Runaway Royals) has been optioned. Here's hoping they get picked up! I'd hate to see only cishet white women getting deals. I know optioning is only the first step, but still...I'm optimistic!

Forbidden was optioned by Sony somehow through The Ripped Bodice bookstore's deal with them.  I am all for that, but would love to have Ms. Bev's Cinematic Universe begin with my favorite Indigo.  They all do take place within the same bookverse.  

[DearEvette]

38 minutes ago, pigs-in-space said:

I'm still thinking I would do an awful lot to get a Spindle Cove series.

I know Beverly Jenkins mentioned one of her books was optioned (Forbidden, I think?), and Alyssa Cole also hinted that one of her series (The Runaway Royals) has been optioned. Here's hoping they get picked up! I'd hate to see only cishet white women getting deals. I know optioning is only the first step, but still...I'm optimistic!

Yes, Alyssa made a tweet about it recently and it sounded very hopeful. 

Farrah Rochon announced that The Boyfriend Project has been optioned as a film.  I read the book and it was fine,  I didn't love-love it, but I think it would adapt as  rom-com really well.

I would not be at all surprised if someone hasn't optioned one of more of Jasmine Guillory's books.  She is red hot right now.

[Kirsty]

On 10/17/2020 at 10:29 AM, pigs-in-space said:

if you could have picked another historical romance series to adapt, which would you choose?

I'd like to see a bunch of Georgette Heyer novels adapted for the screen (Sylvester, The Talisman Ring, and Venetia, for starters). And then Loretta Chase would probably be my first choice after that, so another vote for her Carsington series. Followed by another vote for Courtney Milan, and then Meredith Duran, and Cecilia Grant. Amazon Prime execs, I hope you're paying attention.😉

On 12/26/2020 at 3:02 PM, TheOtherOne said:

I think Elizabeth Hoyt's Maiden Lane series would lend itself well to an adaptation.

Agreed. Her plots are enjoyably bonkers. For anyone who hasn't tried it, that's the series where a masked hero, the Ghost of St Giles, defends the poor on the streets at night. From book to book, this masked avenger identity is passed on like that of the Dread Pirate Roberts, each time someone wants to retire from the crusading business to marry. Usually its a sexy aristo living a double life for Reasons. So it's Regency romance meets The Scarlet Pimpernel.

Edited January 1, 2021 by Kirsty

[gutbuster]

I would be worried about the Scottish accents, but Jennifer Ashley's MacKenzies is one of my favorites. The first few books also have a mystery subplot that ties them together.

I 100% agreed about Maiden Lane. Maybe not the entire series but at least five or six of the books are to me quite exceptional. The stories are quite good. That's one of the few series I've read that I actually remember most of the heroes and heroines because they all had unique character "quirks" that made them a bit more memorable to me. 

I agree with so many other good ones that were already mentioned. Love the Ravenels and Hathaways. Tessa Dare's books I think would be accessible. I also really like Grace Burrowes's books and how the stories and characters over the different series connect. 

[dkb]

Just finished the first 2 books in the League of Extraordinary Women by Evie Dunmore, and I think they would make a great series. Romance and suffrage movement.

[katha]

Balogh's Bedwyn series, because Wulfric LOL. And I think it might make a good comlement/contrast for "Bridgerton". They are like the big, bad wolves to the Bridgerton's adorable puppies. 😁 You wouldn't have to produce drama for them, they are such fierce, melodramatic jerks, you have excitement and character redemption arcs already baked into the source material. I'd start with "A Summer to Remember" tbh, you have the nice, tranquil romance and all the Bedwyns are basically introduced as the villains of the piece and it's awesome and badass. Nice fake-out for a first episode, from my armchair director perspective. 😉

Beyond that, Balogh has written for many decades and produced various series. She tackles war and PTSD in the Survivors series (uniformly very good). Society scandal with the Westcotts (though she spends way too much time in these books explaining how everyone is related to each other, just stop...). Or older works where she has prostitutes as heroines, if producers want the scandal of that.

Edited January 2, 2021 by katha

[magpye29]

I came here to post for the Cynsters and Catherine Coulter's Bride series, but seeing they're already here, I would LOVE to see Mary Jo Putney's Fallen Angels.

I would also like to see JAK's Ghost Hunter/Cadence City novels--come on, wouldn't you love to see a dust bunny?! Or her flower series written as Jayne Castle (Amaryllis, Orchid, and Zinnia). In that vein, Robin D. Owens' Celta novels (the Heart series) would be awesome--I especially love the fams. I really like the paranormal element in those books. I also like Sharon Sala's Wyrick and Charlie Dodge series.  I would love the In Death series, too, but who could they get for Roarke, never mind Dallas? Wes Bentley is pretty enough to be Roarke, but he doesn't project the charm or swagger, and he's getting a little old for the part. My out of the box suggestion for Eve would be Zendaya. Timothee Chalamet will be the right age in about ten years.

Seriously, why haven't they made an all-romance channel yet? There are literally thousands of books, series and stand-alones, that would make great movies or series. They can cover all the romance sub-genres. And they don't have to be Hallmark movies, either. Nothing wrong with those, but I would love to see the books I've read and reread on my screen. Just make sure they don't take the teeth out of them like they did with Nora's books or Julie Garwood's For the Roses, which was remarkably bad.

[MartyQui]

I would love Anne Gracie’s “Perfect” series...I just reread a couple of those, and they’re so good.  And Elizabeth Hoyt’s Four Soldiers series.  Anything by Loretta Chase.  I do think that 8 episodes was too much for the Duke and I...there just isn’t enough story there.  

[Ohiopirate02]

38 minutes ago, MartyQui said:

I would love Anne Gracie’s “Perfect” series...I just reread a couple of those, and they’re so good.  And Elizabeth Hoyt’s Four Soldiers series.  Anything by Loretta Chase.  I do think that 8 episodes was too much for the Duke and I...there just isn’t enough story there.  

Lord of Scoundrels is begging for the Netflix treatment.  That book has everything--a heroine not afraid of sex, a naughty watch discovered while flirting in an antique shop, a duel where the heroine shoots the hero, a boxing match, etc.  

[bijoux]

5 minutes ago, Ohiopirate02 said:

Lord of Scoundrels is begging for the Netflix treatment.  That book has everything--a heroine not afraid of sex, a naughty watch discovered while flirting in an antique shop, a duel where the heroine shoots the hero, a boxing match, etc.  

I have no logical explanation for it, but I prefer The Last Hellion. Whenever I'm in the mood for Chase's scoundrels, that's the one I re-read. 

[Kirsty]

As regards romances you'd like to see adapted, no one has mentioned the novels of Sherry Thomas yet. I love her stuff. It would be great to see some of her stories on the screen.

[bijoux]

I think Thomas is a great writer. But I think her works deal mostly with internalized conflicts which can be challenging to adapt. Not impossible by any means, but requiring a great deal of skill. Though I have to say, I remember her endings feeling somewhat rushed. Then again, I haven't read her books in a while, so I could be misremembering. 

Since we've mentioned Loretta Chase, I started re-reading Miss Wonderful and how great is it that the hero is avoiding romantic entangelments not because he's jaded, but because he's a romantic who falls hard and fast in love with disasterous consequences. Plus, the Earl of Hargate has one of, if not the best introduction of parents in romance novels. 

[DearEvette]

Well to move a little away from historical or small town, I think Suzanne Brockmann's Seal Team 16/Troubleshooters series would translate fantastically to screen.  The military culture is immersive and there are equal parts action, romance and danger. Diversity.  Great personalities.  It is the type of romance that I don't think people who don't read romances think exist. 

I remember watching The Old Guard on Netflix (I highly recommend, btw -- not romance) and think that minus the supernatural stuff it is exactly the vibe I could see for the Brockmann series.

Edited January 13, 2021 by DearEvette

[Kirsty]

On 1/13/2021 at 4:06 PM, bijoux said:

But I think her works deal mostly with internalized conflicts which can be challenging to adapt. Not impossible by any means, but requiring a great deal of skill.

Let's disagree! If internal conflict was a problem, I don't think Julia Quinn's novels would have been the first to be adapted. Look at the Simon/Daphne relationship: the main issue is inside Simon's head and he refuses to talk about it. All he'll say is "I shall never marry" or by mid-season, "I cannot have children". (Helpful!)

The show dealt with this by giving us flashbacks of his birth, his childhood, and his last meeting with his father to enlighten us as to what was going on inside him. Then they threw in a boxing ring, where he could work out his demons with his fists, and a boxer friend who could tell us that Simon was upset or angry or that he needed to talk to Daphne or whatever. We saw him drinking, brooding, and fighting at his gentlemen's club. And we even got a few conversations between him and Lady Danbury to give us a fuller understanding of the lie of the land in his family, before we watched Daphne eventually try to figure it out for herself.

Now I don't think anyone would call this show a masterpiece of subtlety, and yet it managed to dramatise Simon's inner conflict, and build an entertaining season around it. I don't expect a Sherry Thomas romance would require more skilful handling than that. The one that comes to mind is "Not Quite A Husband", where a young English couple travel across India in the present tense (in the late nineteenth century), while the flashbacks fill you in on the history of their relationship to date. Actually, the main problem there is recreating Victorian era India!

But has anyone heard of any romance novels that actually have been optioned in the wake of Bridgerton's massive success? The only thing I've heard of that comes close is Barbara Taylor Bradford's series that begins with "A Woman of Substance". And as I haven't read it, I don't know if that saga even qualifies as a romance.

https://deadline.com/2021/01/roadkill-forge-barbara-taylor-bradfords-the-emma-harte-saga-tv-1234672815/

Edited January 14, 2021 by Kirsty

[Ohiopirate02]

2 minutes ago, Kirsty said:

But has anyone heard of any romance novels that actually have been optioned in the wake of Bridgerton's massive success? The only thing I've heard of that comes close is Barbara Taylor Bradford's series that begins with "A Woman of Substance". And as I haven't read it, I don't know if that saga even qualifies as a romance.

https://deadline.com/2021/01/roadkill-forge-barbara-taylor-bradfords-the-emma-harte-saga-tv-1234672815/

Beverly Jenkins has multiple deals at the moment.  Her contemporary Blessings series is being made into a TV show with Al Roker's production company.

https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/al-roker-entertainment-combines-forces-with-brave-road-and-vast-entertainment-for-inspirational-new-series-301117761.html

And her historical book Forbidden is also being produced by Sony.  

https://www.bookbub.com/blog/beverly-jenkins-forbidden-tv-show

[bijoux]

1 hour ago, Kirsty said:

Let's disagree! If internal conflict was a problem, I don't think Julia Quinn novels would have been the first to be adapted. Look at the Simon/Daphne relationship: the main issue is inside Simon's head and he refuses to talk about it. All he'll say is "I shall never marry" or by mid-season, "I cannot have children". (Helpful!)

The show dealt with this by giving us flashbacks of his birth, his childhood, and his last meeting with his father to enlighten us as to what was going on inside him. Then they threw in a boxing ring, where he could work out his demons with his fists, and a boxer friend who could tell us that Simon was upset or angry or that he needed to talk to Daphne or whatever. We saw him drinking, brooding, and fighting at his gentleman's club. And we even got a few conversations between him and Lady Danbury to give us a fuller understanding of the lie of the land in his family, before we watched Daphne eventually try to figure it out for herself.

Now I don't think anyone would call this show a masterpiece of subtlety, and yet it managed to dramatise Simon's inner conflict, and build an entertaining season around it. I don't expect a Sherry Thomas romance would require more skilful handling than that. The one that comes to mind is "Not Quite A Husband", where a young English couple travel across India in the present tense (in the late nineteenth century), while the flashbacks fill you in on the history of their relationship to date. Actually, the main problem there is recreating Victorian era India!

But has anyone heard of any romance novels that actually have been optioned in the wake of Bridgerton's massive success? The only thing I've heard of that comes close is Barbara Taylor Bradford's series that begins with "A Woman of Substance". And as I haven't read it, I don't know if that saga even qualifies as a romance.

https://deadline.com/2021/01/roadkill-forge-barbara-taylor-bradfords-the-emma-harte-saga-tv-1234672815/

Maybe my deal is that I find Thomas a much deeper writer than Quinn and fear her subtleties would be lost in an adaptation.

I really don't know what to think about this Barbara Taylor Bradford deal, since those books, or at least some of them, have actually already been adapted. Why not find something new in such a vast pool of authors? 

[iwantcookies]

The Bridgerton physical books are not available to buy. Totally bummed. 

[Mirabelle]

Are they all sold out? I know all the Bridgerton ebooks are on Amazon's bestselling list at the moment and you'd think the publisher would have anticipated demand.  But I also remember reading that there was a shortage in publishing - the copies of the Obama book had to be published and shipped from overseas because of supply issues. 

[Door County Cherry]

It does look like they're just sold out.

[Ohiopirate02]

13 hours ago, Mirabelle said:

Are they all sold out? I know all the Bridgerton ebooks are on Amazon's bestselling list at the moment and you'd think the publisher would have anticipated demand.  But I also remember reading that there was a shortage in publishing - the copies of the Obama book had to be published and shipped from overseas because of supply issues. 

The only book to be republished this decade is the first.  That came out back in the spring, but the rest of the books have not been reprinted in years.  The stock for the rest of the books is whatever distributers had on hand.  I assume there will be a tie-in edition of book two coming out sometime this year in anticipation for season two. 

[kaygeeret]

Or, check with your local library if what you want to do is read the book and owning it is secondary.

 

PS The library is free