Pro tip: If your love life feels MIA, a “romantasy” novel might offer a dose of the action and romance you crave. Hollywood and book publishers are reveling in a romance renaissance, thanks to the rise of romantasy — a blend of romance and fantasy. Between 2020 and 2023, sales of romance and fantasy novels in the US soared by 116% and 163%, respectively. This surge in popularity is partly due to the #Romantasy trend on TikTok, which has significantly boosted interest.

• As of Jul. 2024, romantasy books comprised 18.3% of The New York Times Hardcover Fiction Bestseller List, up from 3.3% in Jan. 2019.
• Romantasy novels are on track to generate $610M in 2024 — an increase from a record $454M last year — with over 11M sold in the first five months.

Hollywood’s hesitation: From Harry Potter to Bridgerton, book-to-movie adaptations have been a huge part of Hollywood. But despite this genre’s meteoric jump, TV and movie executives have been slow to adapt romantasy for the screen. The Black List’s Franklin Leonard attributes this delay to the industry’s tendency to “under-option” books targeted at and written by women. This oversight could cost them in potential profits and cultural relevance. At this rate, Hollywood might finally catch on to the opportunity — right after they finish remaking every ‘90s sitcom.