BookTok hits making a splash in the US, the UK, and on both sides of the Atlantic
BookTok has brought readers together and breathed new life into terrific titles that may have fallen out of the spotlight as their publication dates and marketing budgets faded into the background—but are the same books hitting the highwater line both here and in the UK? The answer is yes, and no. Here’s a look at books that have hit it big in the US, the UK, and in both countries.
Top in the US
For some reason this fun rom-com hasn’t hit it big in the UK but US readers have been going crazy for it on BookTok. Loaded with heart and witty banter, Happy Place is a beachy rom-com that’s the perfect read all year long. Months after secretly breaking up, Wyn and Harriet are pretending they’re still a couple so as not to disrupt the annual friend group vacation—but why haven’t their feelings for each other caught up to their reality? Emily Henry perfectly channels friendships that are more like chosen family and figuring out what—and who—makes us truly happy. —Seira Wilson, Amazon Editor
For some reason this fun rom-com hasn’t hit it big in the UK but US readers have been going crazy for it on BookTok. Loaded with heart and witty banter, Happy Place is a beachy rom-com that’s the perfect read all year long. Months after secretly breaking up, Wyn and Harriet are pretending they’re still a couple so as not to disrupt the annual friend group vacation—but why haven’t their feelings for each other caught up to their reality? Emily Henry perfectly channels friendships that are more like chosen family and figuring out what—and who—makes us truly happy. —Seira Wilson, Amazon Editor
Top in the UK
Honey & Spice is the UK’s big rom-com hit and it also earned the distinction of being the winner of the first TikTok book award. It’s the story of a young woman who’s a relationship expert and popular radio host at her university, who extolls her listeners on how to avoid getting involved with cagey men, especially the one she calls “The Wastemen of Whitewell.” And you’ll never guess who she ends up first kissing then fake dating… Funny, hot, and full of heart, this debut novel lives up to the promise of its title and all the attention it’s getting on BookTok in the UK. —Seira Wilson, Amazon Editor
Honey & Spice is the UK’s big rom-com hit and it also earned the distinction of being the winner of the first TikTok book award. It’s the story of a young woman who’s a relationship expert and popular radio host at her university, who extolls her listeners on how to avoid getting involved with cagey men, especially the one she calls “The Wastemen of Whitewell.” And you’ll never guess who she ends up first kissing then fake dating… Funny, hot, and full of heart, this debut novel lives up to the promise of its title and all the attention it’s getting on BookTok in the UK. —Seira Wilson, Amazon Editor
Top in the US
Readers in the US have been pretty obsessed with psychological thrillers over the last decade, and thanks to its popularity on BookTok, Freida McFadden’s The Housemaid is riding a renewed wave of interest. Packed with surprising twists, the novel follows a woman named Millie who takes a job as the housemaid for the wealthy Winchesters in order to get a fresh start. At first, the family seems perfect, but something is rotten at the core of this apple and you’ll be turning pages faster and faster to find out what. Once you’ve reached the jaw-dropping end, you’ve got the sequel, The Housemaid’s Secret, to look forward to, and a third book coming out in 2024 (The Housemaid is Watching, June 11). —Seira Wilson, Amazon Editor
Readers in the US have been pretty obsessed with psychological thrillers over the last decade, and thanks to its popularity on BookTok, Freida McFadden’s The Housemaid is riding a renewed wave of interest. Packed with surprising twists, the novel follows a woman named Millie who takes a job as the housemaid for the wealthy Winchesters in order to get a fresh start. At first, the family seems perfect, but something is rotten at the core of this apple and you’ll be turning pages faster and faster to find out what. Once you’ve reached the jaw-dropping end, you’ve got the sequel, The Housemaid’s Secret, to look forward to, and a third book coming out in 2024 (The Housemaid is Watching, June 11). —Seira Wilson, Amazon Editor
Top in the UK
A novel with all the feels, Maame follows a young twenty-something woman trying to get a hold of her life. After years of living and taking care of her ailing father, Maame is moving in with roommates her own age, but she’s just gotten fired, her mother is a constant pain in her neck, and she’s looking for love. By turns funny and sad, Maame is a character you root for and might just identify with, because let’s face it, who hasn’t felt like, for just a moment, that everything is going wrong? —Al Woodworth, Amazon Editor
A novel with all the feels, Maame follows a young twenty-something woman trying to get a hold of her life. After years of living and taking care of her ailing father, Maame is moving in with roommates her own age, but she’s just gotten fired, her mother is a constant pain in her neck, and she’s looking for love. By turns funny and sad, Maame is a character you root for and might just identify with, because let’s face it, who hasn’t felt like, for just a moment, that everything is going wrong? —Al Woodworth, Amazon Editor
Top title in the US & UK
The perfect book marriage between the US and UK is none other than Red, White, & Royal Blue, which is also getting extra love from its recent Prime Video movie adaptation. In this royal rom-com, there’s no love lost between Prince Henry and his US equivalent, Alex—each basically thinks the other is an utter ass, though in completely opposite ways—but after they’re pushed together for the sake of diplomacy they find they have a lot in common, including their mutual chemistry. A witty, smart story of being yourself and finding true love, this one gets raves from both sides of the pond. —Seira Wilson, Amazon Editor
The perfect book marriage between the US and UK is none other than Red, White, & Royal Blue, which is also getting extra love from its recent Prime Video movie adaptation. In this royal rom-com, there’s no love lost between Prince Henry and his US equivalent, Alex—each basically thinks the other is an utter ass, though in completely opposite ways—but after they’re pushed together for the sake of diplomacy they find they have a lot in common, including their mutual chemistry. A witty, smart story of being yourself and finding true love, this one gets raves from both sides of the pond. —Seira Wilson, Amazon Editor
Top title in the US & UK
I’m not surprised that this novel has resonated with readers an ocean apart—the Amazon Editors in the US loved it so much we made it our pick for the Best Book of 2022. Here’s what our own Al Woodworth had to say about it: “I’m not a gamer, I will likely never be a gamer, but this book about childhood friends who bond over gaming in a hospital and later go on to build a video game empire, stole my heart and buoyed my spirits. This is a story of how friendship—in all of its messy misunderstandings, mistakes, and mishaps—gives Sam Masur and Sadie Green the fire to pursue their dreams, to be brave and overcome ridicule, to be the best they can be. Along the way they must reckon with what life throws at them: heartache and heartbreak, ambition and bravado, success and failure, jealousy and admiration. I devoured this book, and afterwards walked with a bounce in my step, a full heart, and the buzzy feeling of having discovered one of the best books on friendship—the complexity and the glory—I’ve ever read.” —Al Woodworth, Amazon Editor
I’m not surprised that this novel has resonated with readers an ocean apart—the Amazon Editors in the US loved it so much we made it our pick for the Best Book of 2022. Here’s what our own Al Woodworth had to say about it: “I’m not a gamer, I will likely never be a gamer, but this book about childhood friends who bond over gaming in a hospital and later go on to build a video game empire, stole my heart and buoyed my spirits. This is a story of how friendship—in all of its messy misunderstandings, mistakes, and mishaps—gives Sam Masur and Sadie Green the fire to pursue their dreams, to be brave and overcome ridicule, to be the best they can be. Along the way they must reckon with what life throws at them: heartache and heartbreak, ambition and bravado, success and failure, jealousy and admiration. I devoured this book, and afterwards walked with a bounce in my step, a full heart, and the buzzy feeling of having discovered one of the best books on friendship—the complexity and the glory—I’ve ever read.” —Al Woodworth, Amazon Editor
