Back when Game of Thrones ended in 2019, every streamer and network was trying to launch the TV show that would be “the next Game of Thrones.” Five years later, this is still the case. Everything from The Wheel of Time to The Witcher to Shōgun gets slapped with the Game of Thrones comparison. High fantasy was once a fairly niche genre — with a passionate but small and even derided fanbase — but it exploded into the mainstream. Suddenly, everyone knew the difference Stark and Lannister, people were wearing shirts with the words “I drink and I know things,” and everyone was memeing, “You know nothing, Jon Snow.” It’s hard to ignore just how strong of an impact George R. R. Martin‘s World of Ice and Fire has had on pop culture. It’s even spawned its own gaggle of spin-offs through HBO like House of the Dragon, and it has reinvigorated interest in a genre that used to cater to a specific audience.
So, a year later, when Bridgerton made its debut on Netflix in December 2020, it felt like another major watershed moment. At least for a person like me who is obsessed with both high fantasy and romance novels, it felt like a watershed moment. Once again, here was another popular book series being turned into a television show; this time, exchanging a cutthroat political game with an ambitious marriage mart and trading in dragons for corsets and gowns. And, much like Game of Thrones, Bridgerton was a massive success. People instantly fell in love with the torrid love affairs, the interplay of dynamics within the ton, the anachronist string quartet covers of pop songs, and the steamy sex scenes that the show never shied away from. However, three seasons in, and there hasn’t been any word of other streamers or networks picking up on Netflix’s success and following their lead. I am literally screaming into a void and asking: why aren’t we getting more romance novel adaptations?
Romance Has Always Been a Profitable Genre, and I Contribute Directly to It!
If you’re not familiar with the publishing industry, it might surprise you how much of the market is centered around the romance genre. Within all fiction, romance takes up a whopping third of the profits (if not a bit more), making it the most profitable genre, and it’s a billion-dollar industry that continues to grow. However, for a long time, before TikTok influencers and BookTubers, romance was a genre that was largely looked down on and even mocked. They were considered books for bored housewives or “chick lit” and rarely respected in the same way other genres were. Sure, people would nod along if I said I loved Jane Austen, but if I said I loved reading a book like Duke of Sin by Elizabeth Hoyt, I would always get a funny look.
But the critics can sneer if they want, the numbers don’t lie. According to a study from 2018, a reported quarter of all book sales are romance novels and half of all paperbacks sold were romance novels. Reportedly, Regency romance publishing giant Harlequin sells two books a second and this is after they dominated the romance market in the 70s and 80s when Harlequin held 80% of the world’s market share of fiction. It’s reasonable to assume that an executive looking at numbers like these and at the success of a show like Bridgerton might want to capitalize on the trend.
It’s not like the latest boom in literature has made romance any less successful. With the advent of online self-publishing and platforms like Kindle Unlimited, romance novels have never been more plentiful or diverse. I won’t share how much money I’ve sunk into these books, but let’s say it’s more than my video game budget and less than a car payment. These books have been beloved by readers for decades, so why aren’t we seeing more ladies of the ton gracing our screens? Where are the hundreds of cold and aloof dukes with secret hearts of gold?
Books Are Being Adapted Left and Right, But Why Aren’t There More Regency Romances?
It’s not that romance novels aren’t being adapted. The 50 Shades of Grey films far precluded Bridgerton, as did the historical series Outlander, based on Diana Gabaldon‘s romantic novels. Recent romantic movies like Red, White & Royal Blue, The Idea of You, and even the scandalous 365 Days have seen success. However, there’s an argument to be made that Regency romance novels have always been a sort of figurehead of the genre. The so-called bodice ripper novels are what you imagine when you imagine a romance novel, typically coupled with a book cover of a woman in a beautiful and somewhat scandalous dress and a man looking deeply into her eyes.
The fact is, when you say the words “romance novel,” a Regency novel is likely what you’re thinking of traditionally. Yet, it still seems to be something that is still looked down on. Even within the book community, why read about an earl or a duke if you can read about a mafia prince or a star hockey player? Yes, there is a restrictive aspect to historical romance and where you can take a story, but I can’t help but wonder if the lack of more Bridgerton dupes comes from the big M. Yes, we’re talking about misogyny.
Let’s All Be Honest, Misogyny Is Probably at the Core of This
Remember how I said high fantasy was derided as a genre? Well, sitting right next to it on the shelf of shame (sometimes literally in a bookstore) is romance. Now, I likely started reading romance novels too early in life, but I have distinct memories of buying mystery bundles of books — where 15 used books of the same genre were wrapped in paper and sold for $5 — and pretending like I was buying them for a friend. Long before we could just hit a button on an app and discreetly enjoy our favorite romance, it was tough out there for a girl who voraciously consumed romance novels and yet felt a judging eye everywhere she went.
The aforementioned Duke of Sin was a book I brought to the pool to read before I quickly learned that I would be made fun of for reading it. I even used to use old book covers for textbooks around more sordid novels I picked up from the library. And as I got older, I had to wonder, why the hell was I embarrassed about reading these books? In fact, why is romance, in general, sneered at when it’s declared to be a person’s favorite genre of fiction?
While there was definitely a nerd stigma when it came to fantasy, some would point to the worldbuilding or the fantastical beasts or the general mythical lands to be what elevates not only the genre but the writing itself. Anyone can write a romance novel with corsets and dukes, right? Wrong! The fact is romance novelists do a lot more research than you might think for the sake of accuracy. Remember how I said I loved both fantasy and romance? Well, one of the issues I found while reading high fantasy was that there was a distinct lack of female characters. And if they existed, they were often one-dimensional and written terribly. It was getting a little boring for me to continuously meet the next chosen one named Frodo or Rand or Jon Snow.
The existing holier-than-thou attitude toward romance is rooted in misogyny, there’s no doubt about that. The prevailing stereotype was that these books were for women with nothing better to do or women who were looking for a fantasy because they were bored with their own lives. It’s that rhetoric that made me feel ashamed to share the fact that I was in love with these books except with the few friends I had who were also in love with them. A girl can only take so many condescending looks before she has to pretend that she loves Infinite Jest (no one likes that book) rather than the Wallflower series by Lisa Kleypas (we should all love those books).
I Am About To Start Making Blood Sacrifices For More Historical Romance Shows
All this is to say, it baffles me why a show like Bridgerton, which has gotten so much universal acclaim, doesn’t have streamers and studios running to authors to sign deals. Again, where is my Wallflower series?! Where is the Western romance show based on Beverly Jenkins‘ Old West series? Why am I not spending summers in Spindle Cove with Tessa Dare‘s heroines? The majority of these novels are written by women and, therefore, have a unique perspective on just how diverse women are. These heroines don’t comfortably fit into any box, they’re complex and funny and flawed. This is a recipe for success, people! And it isn’t just women who are writing these books; there are non-binary and trans authors, and queer couples and stories are growing in the genre as well.
It’s not like romantic stories aren’t being adapted. But with puritanical sentiments on the rise, even among younger people, I worry that even massive successes like Bridgerton aren’t inspiring people to lean into more of these types of stories. In fact, we already know that, statistically, sex scenes in Hollywood are basically now an endangered species. But the reality is, there is so much more to historical romance than just Julia Quinn‘s version of the ton. There are books about spies, books about scientists, books about musicians, and every other idea you can think of out there. Do you like enemies-to-lovers? How about enemies-to-lovers-to-assassins and then back to lovers? This genre is about so much more than just Whistledown, and I need studios to realize that, so they can get on with making more of these shows. I’m not asking anymore; I’m begging!
Bridgerton Season 3 Part 2 is available to stream on Netflix in the U.S.
