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Best Romance Book to Screen Adaptations of 2022

Reading Time: 5 minutes

Love on the Big Screen (and the Small Screen, too!)

Lovers of romance novels had a lot to be excited about it 2022! Not only did we get a ton of great reads, but we also had the chance to see many of our favorites on the big (and small) screen. Take a peek at our list of the best can’t-be-missed adaptations that got our hearts racing over the last year!

 

Along for the Ride – Sarah Dessen

Auden has always had trouble sleeping. Nighttime is her time, offering the only chance she has to escape the problems that plague her during the day. Then she meets Eli, a fellow insomniac, and the two discover that anything can happen when you have an endless supply of summer nights to spend any way you want. Sarah Dessen is the undisputed queen of clean teen romance, and this sweet Netflix movie is perfect for a girls’ night in!

 

 

Bones and All –  Camille DeAngelis

Maren Yearly doesn’t just break hearts…she eats them. She also wants to be loved, but her terrible secret forces her into exile instead. Much like most of us, she carries on craving a heart to connect with. Will she ever find romance to end her days of loneliness and secrecy? If that killer plot isn’t intriguing enough, this major motion picture stars Timothée Chalamet and Taylor Russell as the perfectly sinister pair we didn’t know we needed! Catch this adaptation in theaters now! Watch the movie trailer.

 

 

Conversations with Friends – Sally Rooney

Goal-oriented Frances is calm, logical, and vaguely pursuing a writing career. Her best friend Bobbi is beautiful and self-obsessed. When they meet a well-known photographer named Melissa at a local poetry performance, the young women are drawn into a sophisticated, glamorous world and are quickly in over their heads. When an innocent flirtation with Melissa’s husband turns into something strange and unexpected, Frances begins to think that maybe she isn’t nearly as mature as she thought. This super sexy, binge-worthy limited series is waiting for you on Hulu!

 

From Scratch: A Memoir of Love, Sicily, and Finding Home – Tembi Locke

Zoe Saldana stars in this Netflix series that is the only nonfiction pick on our list! That’s right, the viral love story that has viewers sharing their reactions all over TikTok is based on the author’s real life! It was love at first sight in Florence, Italy when Tembi, a young art student, met personal chef, Saro. Though Saro’s traditional Sicilian family did not approve of him marrying a Black American woman, the two forged a happy life in LA. Just as they reconciled with his estranged family, Saro is diagnosed with a deadly cancer that would end their chances at a happy future.

This series chronicles three summers that Tembi spent in her husband’s tiny hometown with their daughter, Zoela, where she finds spiritual and physical solace at her mother-in-law’s table. Don’t miss this lovely story of love lost and love found! (Be sure to bring tons of tissues too!)

Lady Chatterly’s Lover – D.H. Lawrence

Born into a life of status and wealth, Connie has always behaved as a lady should. But when her husband suffers terrible wounds that affect him emotionally and physically, his neglect leads her to question if there is more to life. Desperate for a connection, Connie turns to the estate’s handsome gamekeeper and the two begin a complicated, passionate affair. Will she return to the passionless life of comfort she once knew or follow her heart? Lawrence’s masterpiece has spawned several adaptations over the years, but Netflix’s version is hot, steamy, and stars Emma Corrin and Jack O’Connell.

 

Mr. Malcolm’s List – Suzanne Allain

If you like Bridgerton, you will LOVE this major motion featuring an arrogant bachelor who has a checklist of qualifications and character traits that the woman he decides to marry must possess.

Freida Pinto stars as Selina, a young woman of limited means who is recruited by a friend planning to exact some revenge on the snooty Honorable Mr. Jeremy Malcolm. But he seems very different than the man that her friend described to her, so Selina decides to show him that she has some traits of her own that he did not take into account when he made his list. You can find this adaptation on Showtime!

My Policeman – Bethan Roberts

Marion is smitten with broad, blue-eyed Tom from the moment she first lays eyes on him. As their relationship deepens, she realizes that something feels off, and she discovers that Patrick, a museum curator, is also smitten with Tom. Patrick and Marion share Tom, each having their own life with him, until one of them breaks and all of them are destroyed. Heartthrob Harry Styles stars in this adaptation alongside the stunning Emma Corrin, which you can find on Amazon Prime video!

 

Persuasion – Jane Austen

You may have heard of this classic. But you have never seen it quite like this! Persuasion is about two people finding a second chance at love nearly a decade after their parting has had readers absolutely swooning for more than 200 years! Netflix’s version includes a diverse cast that gives this period piece a delightfully modern feel. The perfect heroine, Dakota Johnson, stars alongside Cosmo Jarvis and Henry Golding. This adaptation will leave you feeling limitless and hopeful, just as Ms. Austen intended!

 

Recipes for Love and Murder – Sally Andrew

Tannie Maria sees food as “medicine for the body and heart” and writes a popular recipe-themed column for her local newspaper. When she discovers that a woman with whom she had corresponded has been murdered, Tannie Maria becomes involved in the investigation in a way that can only lead to trouble. Luckily, there is a very handsome detective who has dedicated himself to keeping her safe. Catch this adaptation on Acorn TV!

 

 

Through My Window – Ariana Godoy

Raquel is a hardworking person who has only two goals. She wants to be a psychologist and she wants her sexy neighbor Ares to notice her.

A chance encounter makes it clear he wants her as badly as she wants him. Raquel and Ares instantly fall for each other. Hard. But Ares can’t commit to Raquel. His family has decided what his life will look like, and that vision does not include a woman like Raquel. Will familial obligation win out over obsession and lust? Find out in Netflix’s take on this sexy read!

 

See even more romance book-to-screen adaptations on bookshop.org!

How do you feel when you find out that one of your favorite books is going to get the Hollywood treatment? Do you enjoy the book and movie separately, even if some things are lost on the way to the big screen? Or do you get a feeling of dread because there is NO WAY they can translate your beloved text in a way that will leave you satisfied?

Be sure to tell us on social about the romance novel-to-movie adaptations that you fell in love with in 2022!

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