Books
As a self-professed bibliophile, it is the rare genre I will not even consider reading. But I have to admit that the romantic comedy is like the butter to my bread, the peanut butter to my jelly, the sugar to my coffee. I'm saying I really like a good rom-com novel, OK? And a rom-com film? Forget about it. I am a total sucker for the classics like You've Got Mail and Never Been Kissed just as much as the newbies like Love, Simon and the upcoming To All the Boys I've Loved Before. But when it comes to modern rom-coms on the big screen, there just aren't nearly enough for my liking. But it seems like, thanks in large part to a robust book community and studios and streaming platforms like Netflix taking their popularity into consideration, we're being given the gift of more book-to-film rom-coms than we've seen in quite some time.
So, what books should be next? Which swoon-worthy-meets-laugh-out-loud stories should be on the top of the list to get the on-screen treatment? I have a few ideas. Below are 15 books that would make the perfect rom-com films. Whether they have vibrant settings and engrossing plots, couples you will root for from page one, or writing that will make you laugh out loud, there is a book below that you'd better read now before the film (fingers crossed) comes out.
'Anna And The French Kiss' by Stephanie Perkins
Anna is less than thrilled about being shipped off to boarding school in Paris — until she meets Étienne St. Clair. Smart, charming, and beautiful, Étienne has it all... including a serious girlfriend. Will a year of romantic near-misses end with their long-awaited French kiss?
'The Hating Game' by Sally Thorne
Lucy Hutton and Joshua Templeman are co-workers who just so happen to hate each other. But when they both decide to submit an application for the same promotion, things get pretty dirty — in more ways than one.
'Save The Date' by Morgan Matson
Charlie Grant’s older sister is getting married this weekend at their family home, and Charlie can’t wait — for the first time in years, all four of her older siblings will be under one roof. Charlie is desperate for one last perfect weekend... but it's shaping up to be an absolute disaster.
'The Coincidence Of Coconute Cake' by Amy E. Reichert
It's the worst day of Lou life — which of course means that it's today that Al, a restaurant reviewer, will stop by to sample her fare. Needless to say, Al isn't impressed. After his review runs, the two cross paths in a pub and become friends, neither knowing the other's true identity.
'When Dimple Met Rishi' by Sandhya Menon
Dimple Shah isn't interested in romance. With graduation behind her, she’s looking forward to attending a summer program for aspiring web developers. Rishi Patel, on the other hand, is a hopeless romantic. So when his parents tell him that his future wife will be attending the same summer program as him, he’s ready to woo her and romance her and make her his bride.
'The Wedding Date' by Jasmine Guillory
Alexa Monroe would normally never agree to be the last-minute wedding date to a guy she met in an elevator. But Drew Nichols is hard to resist — and she can't stop thinking about him, even after the wedding passes and they go their separate ways.
'Foolish Hearts' by Emma Mills
The day of the last party of the summer, Claudia overhears a conversation she wasn't supposed to. Now on the wrong side of one of the meanest girls in school, Claudia doesn't know what to expect when the two are forced to try out for the school play. But mandatory participation has its upsides — namely, an unexpected friendship and a guy with the best dimpled smile Claudia's ever seen.
'The Kiss Quotient' by Helen Hoang
Stella Lane has way less experience in the dating department than the average 30-year-old. It doesn't help that Stella has Asperger's and thinks math is the only thing that unites the universe. Her conclusion: she needs lots of practice — with a professional. Which is why she hires escort Michael Phan to help her out.
'The Way You Make Me Feel' by Maurene Goo
After her prank goes too far, Clara Shin is sentenced to work on her dad's food truck with her uptight classmate Rose Carver for the entire summer. It's not the carefree vacation Clara had imagined... But maybe Rose isn't so bad. Maybe the boy named Hamlet crushing on her is pretty cute. Maybe Clara feels invested in her dad’s business. Maybe it's time for Clara to leave her old self behind.
'One Plus One' by Jojo Moyes
Jess's husband has done a vanishing act, her teenage stepson is being bullied, and her math whiz daughter wants to accept a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that Jess can't pay for. Everything is a mess — until a knight-in-shining-armor offers to rescue her and her family. Only Jess’s knight turns out to be Ed, the obnoxious tech millionaire whose vacation home she happens to clean.
'The Victoria In My Head' by Janelle Milanes
Victoria Cruz inhabits two worlds: In her daydreams, she is a rock star. In reality, Victoria is a shy teenager with overprotective Cuban parents, who sleepwalk through her life. But after a chance encounter with an unattainably gorgeous boy named Strand — who just happens to be in a band that needs a lead singer — Victoria is tempted to turn her fevered daydreams into reality.
'The Royal We' by Heather Cocks & Jessica Morgan
American Rebecca Porter, a.k.a. Bex, has never been into fairy tales — until she finds herself living down the hall from Prince Nicholas, Great Britain's future king. And when Bex falls for Nick, it propels her into a world she never expected to inhabit. Now, on the eve of the wedding of the century, Bex must decide if everything she's sacrificed for love will be worth it.
'You Know Me Well' by Nina LaCour & David Levithan
Mark and Kate have sat next to each other for an entire year, but have never spoken. That is, until Kate spots Mark miles away from home. Kate is lost, having just run away from a chance to finally meet the girl she has been in love with from afar. Mark, meanwhile, is in love with his best friend Ryan, who may or may not feel the same way.
