‘Windy City’ Show: Author Liz Tomforde Talks Adaptation’s Spice Level & More
What To Know
- Liz Tomforde’s popular Windy City sports romance book series is being adapted for TV.
- The Windy City series features five books, each centered on a different couple and sport, including hockey, basketball, and baseball.
- Tomforde spoke about the show’s spice level, her must-have scenes, and more.
Take us to the Windy City! Author Liz Tomforde‘s sports-focused series has made waves in the romance reader community since Mile High kicked things off in 2022. Four years later, Prime Video revealed that a TV series was in development. Tomforde shared some exciting insights into the adaptation on September 1. Namely, her must-have scenes and whether the show will be as spicy as the books.
On the House of Maher podcast, Tomforde noted that, in the case of Mile High, the mirror scene and the undressing-on-the-airplane moment need to make it into the show. She went on to explain that the production team told her they had “no plans to shy away from any of it” from the get-go.
“This was actually before Heated Rivalry was on TV,” she explained. “It was in production, and this is before Off Campus came out, and so those were the first two I think that have really kind of turned things around lately. And so I was just trusting them that this is going to happen, and I think because Heated Rivalry was like, ‘We’re going to show everything, and people are going to love it,’ and they did. I think it’s making these production companies confident and like, ‘We can do this.'”
She continued, “I think it’s such an important aspect, and I think with any book that has spicy scenes in it, if they’re in there, they need to move the story forward. And so if you’re going to pull it out even for a TV show, you’re going to be missing important parts of their story.”
Swooon‘s done all the digging into the production, so you’ve come to the right place if you want more details! Keep reading for Tomforde’s full scene wishlist and more.
What is the Windy City TV show premiere date?
There’s no release date yet. On May 6, 2026, Amazon MGM Studios officially confirmed that the show was in development.
“I started writing Mile High while working as a flight attendant for a professional hockey team,” Tomforde told Deadline on May 6. “What started as a personal passion project has turned into a career that I truly never thought was possible. And now, thanks to Premeditated Productions and Amazon Studios, it’s becoming something bigger than I ever dreamed. Soon readers who fell in love with my characters will get to watch their stories step off the page and unfold on screen.”
Who is in the Windy City cast?
It’s too soon for casting, but we do know who’s making the show. Alison McDonald is writing and executive-producing. The show falls under Premeditated Productions, which has a first-look deal with the studio. Premeditated’s Liz Pelletier and Sherryl Clark are also executive producing alongside SVP of Television Julie Jarmon and Tomforde herself.
Premeditated Productions has a number of other romance adaptations in the works, including Jennifer L. Armentrout’s Lux series and Nisha J. Tuli’s upcoming Storm Breaker. It’s also bringing another BookTok favorite, Rebecca Yarros’ Fourth Wing, to the small screen in collaboration with Outlier Society and Kilter Films.
“I talked to a couple other production companies before I landed with who I landed with, and I felt so good about working with Premeditated Productions and Amazon Studios that I was like, [there’s] no doubt in my mind they were the right team to go with,” Tomforde said on the House of Maher podcast.
The author explained that when she was approached about the adaptation, it wasn’t “necessarily anything [she] was really wanting unless it was absolutely the right thing for [her] and the characters and the books.”
During her first meeting with Premeditated, she said every single person knew every detail of her books. “What exciting things that they wanted to bring to screen were the things that meant a lot to me,” she said. “And so it was nice. It wasn’t just like, ‘Oh, here’s some fancy quotes that we’ve seen, and we know your books are popular, so let us adapt it.’ It was like they were actual fans of it, and I think that means a lot.”
What is Windy City about?
Windy City follows a different couple and three different sports across each of its five books. Mile High introduces NHL bad boy (and playboy) Zanders, whose hackles are raised by his team’s new flight attendant, Stevie. Despite their prickly dynamic, Zanders and Stevie are drawn to each other.
The next book, The Right Move, takes readers into the NBA. Guarded Ryan’s world is shifted on its axis when Indy, his sister’s emotional best friend, moves into his apartment. One thing leads to another, and they make a mutually beneficial fake-dating arrangement.
Kai and Miller from Caught Up are another opposites-attract situation, but it takes place in the world of professional baseball. Kai is a burnt-out single dad and starting pitcher. He doesn’t want any help with his son, but his coach forces him to hire his wild daughter as his nanny. Tomforde serves up the fake marriage trope in Play Along, which sees baseball shortstop Isaiah drunkenly marry athletic trainer Kennedy in Vegas. They have to stay together to protect her job.
Last but not least, the final book in the main Windy City series, Rewind It Back, is a second chance romance between former high school sweethearts, Hallie and NHL player Rio. Hallie, an interior designer, is accidentally hired to renovate Rio’s house, forcing them into each other’s orbits.
Tomforde shared the scenes she wants to see from every book in the adaptation. “Speaking of The Right Move, I love that first gala scene, which is their first moment together, but they also have so many moments in general,” she began. “Kai and Miller, when they go to the bakery, I love that scene. Their final scene together before their some time apart. I also love Isaiah [and] Kennedy. That whole book needs to be in there. I love that book. Shopping for the toothbrush, going to Chili’s, which I’m sure they’ll have to name something else, but we’ll all know it’s Chili’s. And then, Rewind It Back, I’m really excited for flashbacks and to see how they do that.”
Which scene are you most excited for? Tell us in the comments below!
