Hallmark’s Loveuary Jane Austen film series impressed me. The teams behind them deserve some praise for their creative use of Austen’s life and work. The Loveuary films involve Austen fan events, her as a guiding spirit, and someone trapped in Pride and Prejudice. The cable network even has an impressive Black-led adaptation of Sense and Sensibility. Seeing how well the network experiments with Austen’s work made me want to see them (or other networks) give more romance authors the same treatment.
Romance authors have always been an important part of the film and television worlds. However, right now seems like the perfect time to give them the attention they have earned. The Bridgerton series by Julia Quinn is one of Netflix’s biggest hits. Bridgerton Season 3 is one of the most anticipated upcoming Netflix releases. Jenny Han dominates the YA romance market with the To All the Boys franchise and The Summer I Turned Pretty. Robyn Carr’s Virgin River is an extremely popular Netflix show. Romance writers continue to prove why they not only sell books, but also create the basis for hit shows and movies. Therefore, I think it’s time more novelists have their work celebrated in film form.
Nora Roberts (The Witness, Birthright, The Obsession)
Nora Roberts belongs on the Mount Rushmore of romance authors. As of February 2024, she has published over 220 books (and this is not counting her J.D. Robb titles). Writing a single book is impressive. Writing over 200 books makes you some sort of deity in the book world. With so many stories, Hallmark has plenty of movie choices. This alone makes Roberts someone worth highlighting.
Additionally, she has a very interesting history in the publishing domain that includes fighting for and supporting other writers and literacy. The Loveuary Austen film series doesn’t just highlight her novels but some of the ways that she is such a pioneer for women. The same should be done for future authors who get film series, especially ones like Roberts. The author has already had her books adapted into movies before, so Hallmark might just need to make the right offer.
The Bronte Sisters (Jane Eyre, Wuthering Heights, Agnes Grey)
I think it’s a mischaracterization to classify the Bronte sisters’ books as romance. However, many readers consider Jane Eyre and Wuthering Heights to be epic romance novels. Romance and love are important to both stories, but they’re quite serious in comparison to Hallmark’s usual films. They are probably darker than the network feels comfortable going, but, like the Austen film series, these movies could take inspiration from the sisters and their novels.
Many of the Austen Loveuary films focus on fans of the author engaging with the novels in a meaningful way. The same could work here. The Bronte sisters’ books are beloved, have been adapted many times, and use love and romance in interesting ways. In Jane Eyre especially, to me, it’s more of a coming-of-age story than a straightforward romance. Love is important to her growth, but, like other great coming-of-age movies, these Hallmark Bronte sisters' films could focus on the main heroine’s struggles with love as part of the journey but not all of it. Hallmark’s Love & Jane basically follows a personal growth first, love and romance second formula.
Danielle Steel (Daddy, The Ghost, The Long Road Home)
Many associate Danielle Steel with a tried and true formula of storytelling. It is definitely a winning method because she’s written over 190 books and often hits best sellers' lists. Hallmark has also created a successful formula that people love. Hallmark and Steel’s stories both can offer some lessons and comfort for their fans. Though Steel’s style of novels may work better for Network TV (since many were TV movies in the ‘80s and ‘90s), Hallmark has been making some bolder choices with their content.
For example, Hallmark’s Sense and Sensibility had a bit more seriousness than I often expect on the cable channel. And as someone who hasn’t read every Steel book, I am not sure if some have the lightness of a common Hallmark movie. But, there are plenty of ways this movie series can pay tribute to the romance author. They don’t have to directly adapt a film. They could just use themes from Steel’s novels and make sure to highlight why she’s such a romance author icon.
Beverly Jenkins (To Catch a Raven, Tempest, A Chance At Love)
Beverly Jenkins is another romance author who may not naturally seem like a fit for a Hallmark movie series. For example, Hallmark has done some historical fiction movies (including the recent Sense and Sensibility adaptation and An American in Austen), but it’s not its norm. However, Jenkins has written contemporary romances. Therefore, it’s not a completely mismatched partnership.
Hallmark is also trying to increase its diversity with more BIPOC leading characters. The development of the Mahogany collection of films reflects this purpose. Hallmark could adapt some of Jenkins’s contemporary romance books or novellas, especially some of the Holiday romance ones for their famous yearly Christmas movie slate.
Courtney Milan (The Duchess War, The Duke Who Didn’t, The Countess Conspiracy)
Readers of Courtney Milan may best know her for her historical fiction. However, she’s another romance author who can do it all. I would love to see Hallmark give some attention to her contemporary novels and short stories. Milan has also been actively fighting to increase diversity in the romance world. She also gladly promotes other romance authors of color.
That alone makes her as heroic as any romantic lead. Additionally, a tribute film series could not only highlight Milan’s stories but offer some much-deserved praise for the work she does for the romance community.
Alyssa Cole (An Extraordinary Union, A Duke By Default, A Prince On Paper)
Alyssa Cole hasn’t been on the romance author scene for long, especially compared to many of the other authors on this list. However, in only about a decade as a published writer, she has written many adored and popular books. Like many others here, Cole also dabbles quite often in historical fiction. Her contemporary romance novels, especially the Reluctant Royals franchise would be fun to see as part of a Hallmark movie series.
Some of Cole’s books fall into the LGBTQ+ category, and with Hallmark now not shying away from gay and queer love stories, some of those could also join Cole’s proposed Hallmark movie collection.
Meg Cabot (The Princess Diaries, The Mediator, The Boy Next Door)
Meg Cabot is one of the romance authors who had a lot of influence on my love of romance in all forms. I became gleeful every time I cruised a bookstore and found a new book. I am more of an expert on her young adult series, such as The Princess Diaries and All American Girl, because I read her YA books so frequently growing up. However, Cabot is another author with a ton of books in many different romantic genres that Hallmark could adapt into movies. Plus, the network could highlight the author’s decades of writing success in profound ways.
A few of Cabot’s books and series have already been adapted into movies and TV shows, but she still has many novels that could work as a Hallmark movie series. They could work as direct adaptations, or take inspiration from her body of work.
Hallmark’s Jane Austen Loveuary movies have been some of the network’s most exciting. Therefore, I would love to see how they explore and elevate some other romance authors. However, if Hallmark isn’t the right platform to praise and highlight these authors, I hope they find some streaming service, cable channel, or network to do it. Luckily, some of these authors, including Beverly Jenkins, already have adaptations in various stages of development. Romance writers continue to thrive on the page and the screen.
