Everything you need to know about the state of romantic fiction: from diverse love stories to adaptation fever

In this episode of Booksmart, hosts Sunny Adcock and Allie Daisy King take on the current romantic fiction boom and share which new love stories you should be reading.Print sales of romantic fiction have reached an all-time high worldwide, but the genre (and its many sub-genres) isn't just outselling mystery or sci-fi; it's expanding the market with its more inclusive and diverse stories.These "light-hearted" stories challenge how audiences see themselves and the world around them, while putting protagonists often ignored in the literary world at the centre of the narrative. But what happens when the film and television industry, which continues to capitalise on built-in audiences by adapting popular books rather than investing in original stories, appears to have zero interest in maintaining that diversity in its casting decisions, even when it's a foundational part of the source material?Warning: this episode features discussion of overused book tropes, whitewashed musical theatre productions, and calls back to the days of dark Harry Styles fan fiction.