Netflix has landed the rights to adapt Elsie Silver’s bestselling cowboy romance novels, the Chestnut Springs series, into a TV show. Canadian author Elsie Silver is one of the leading voices in contemporary romance publishing, with her five-book Chestnut Springs series having sold over 10 million copies alone. She’s also the author of the four-book Goldrush Ranch series and the four-book Rose Hill series.
The interconnected standalone romance novels in the Chestnut Springs series follow the lives of the ranch-owning Eaton family and their friends – Rhett, Cade, and Beau Eaton, the unofficially adopted Jasper, and Rhett’s rodeo protégé, Theo – as they discover their true purpose in Chestnut Springs and, of course, fall in love.
As originally reported by Variety, The Waterfront’s producer and writer, Hannah Schneider, is set to adapt Silver’s books for the small screen, with Shawn Levy (Stranger Things, Shadow & Bone) set to executive produce through his production company, 21 Laps Entertainment. The show is currently in development, alongside Prime Video’s recently announced adaptation of Silver’s Rose Hill series.
What This Adaptation Means For Netflix
Romance has always been a massive genre in the publishing world, but it’s reached new heights in recent years, and streamers are getting in on the game. Netflix’s adaptation of Silver’s Chestnut Springs series is the latest in a long line of contemporary romance novels being adapted, with other mainstream romance authors, including Emily Henry, Elle Kennedy, Ali Hazelwood, and more, being snapped up by various studios.
Should it move forward, the Chestnut Springs series will fit in right alongside other contemporary romantic book-to-TV adaptations in Netflix’s catalog, including the ever-popular Virgin River, based on the books by Robyn Carr, the recently renewed cowboy romance Ransom Canyon, based on the books by Jodi Thomas, and YA series My Life With the Walter Boys, based on the novels by Ali Novak.
Our Take On Netflix’s Chestnut Springs Adaptation
Silver’s books are funny, memorable, and sexy (and filled with every romance reader’s favorite tropes), but they also deal with relatable personal and relationship issues. Jasper’s novel, Powerless, for instance, dives into Jasper’s decades-long struggle with guilt and grief. Cade’s book, Heartless, deals with his difficulties as a single father. Meanwhile, Beau’s story in Hopeless examines the trauma endured by veterans.
This is the perfect time to start adapting Elsie Silver’s work, as her brand continues to grow with the recent release of the fourth Rose Hill novel, Wild Card. If Netflix gets the casting, the romance, and that all-important small-town charm right, the Chestnut Springs TV series could prove to be just as big a hit for the streamer as Virgin River.
