"Attempting to choose your next romance read or watch is not for the faint of heart. One wrong move and you could accidentally find yourself immersed in a romance trope that you yourself have lived out with an ex. Luckily, there are tons of romance tropes out there to choose from, and a simple way to decide: your zodiac sign. Each sign’s distinct personality lends itself perfectly to a different romance trope that can be found in books, movies, and television shows galore.
Whether you’re a lovesick Cancer who wants the slow burn of friends to lovers or a competitive Leo who loves a revenge romance, we’ve deciphered which romance trope fits which zodiac sign the best. Read on to discover which classic romance trope you are, based on your zodiac sign.
Aries
Forbidden Love
Fiery, opinionated Aries is never one to shy away from a little controversy, which is why the forbidden love trope fits them perfectly. Think Romeo and Juliet, Alex and Henry from Red, White, & Royal Blue, or Kate and Anthony from Bridgerton. These are the romances that have your heart pounding whenever the two characters are so much as in a room together because there’s so much sexual tension and absolutely no way for that tension to be broken in public. Aries signs are energetic and independent, so they wouldn’t be afraid to fall for someone who’s a little outside of their comfort zone (or the realm of possibility). They’re also a fiercely loyal zodiac sign, which is why they’re willing to persevere through the complications of the forbidden romance trope.
Books to read: Red, White, & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston, Twisted Love by Ana Huang, and Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros
Taurus
Second-Chance Romance
Taureans are notoriously stubborn, which is why they’re the ideal sign for a second-chance romance. Can you think of anything dreamier than a partnership that didn’t work out the first time because one party was too stubborn, and then they get a second shot at love? Personally, I cannot. On the literary side, Taurus signs will find themselves loving romances like Happy Place, It Ends With Us, or The Ex Hex. And some of the greatest romance movies include a second-chance romance, like Mamma Mia! Or The Notebook. Though trying to convince a Taurus to sway from their original opinion might seem impossible, when true love is on the line, they’ll become a big softie.
Books to read: Happy Place by Emily Henry, Every Summer After by Carley Fortune, and The Ex Hex by Erin Sterling
Gemini
Fake Dating
Listen, I’m not saying that Geminis are great liars. I’m just saying that if there was hypothetically a sign that was going to lie about their relationship status, it would totally be Gemini. They could easily pull off a complex ruse where they pretend to be in love. The fake dating trope is all over the most popular romance novels these days, like The Love Hypothesis or Happy Place. It also takes up the plot of some of the most iconic romantic comedies of all time (How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days and Anyone But You come to mind). Geminis can use their ability to switch up their personalities at the drop of a hat to their advantage here!
Books to read: The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood, Take A Hint, Dani Brown by Talia Hibbert, and The Wall of Winnipeg and Me by Mariana Zapata
Cancer
Friends-to-Lovers
Emotional, sensitive Cancer signs are by far the most likely to fall for a best friend and pine for them for at least a few months before making a move. Cancers are by nature super intuitive and loving, so they’ll definitely take notice if there’s an opportunity for romance between them and a friend. Honestly, this romance trope is even better when it takes place over a long period of time. If you’re a Cancer, I can almost guarantee that you loved 13 Going on 30 when you were growing up, and People We Meet on Vacation is one of your most frequent re-reads. A reminder to all the Cancer signs out there: Your perfect person is probably closer than you think!
Books to read: People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry, You, Again by Kate Goldbeck, and Something to Talk About by Meryl Wilsner
Leo
Revenge Romance
Leos love a little drama, which is why a revenge romance is right up their alley. Whether they’re seeking revenge on their love interest or on someone else, this is one of the spiciest, most tense romance tropes, which is what makes it perfect for an outgoing Leo. Required viewing includes the Netflix romantic comedy thriller Do Revenge (Maya Hawke and Camila Mendes are criminally underrated in this, IMO) and The Princess Bride (Wesley is possibly the single-most Leo man I’ve ever seen on screen). Sure, revenge romances are a little problematic at first, but they’re also some of the most gripping. Just like with an attention-loving Leo, we can’t look away.
Books to read: Love at First Spite by Anna E. Collins, Good Girl Complex by Elle Kennedy, and Twisted Love by Ana Huang
Virgo
Roommates-to-Lovers
If there’s one sign that’s sure to have a distinct living style, it’s Virgos. Known for being organized, tidy, and generally on-the-ball, Virgos are the type of roommate you always dream of having. This is why a roommates-to-lovers romance is totally the trope they most align with. I know we’re all obsessed with the roommates-to-lovers arc in Funny Story right now (I think I have physically swooned over Miles Nowak at this point and he is fully a fictional man), but let us not forget the iconic plotline that made us all want a hot roommate in the first place: Jess and Nick of New Girl, of course. Virgos are just one lease signature away from a roommates-to-lovers romance at all times, but if that’s not in the cards, we have a few book recs for you.
Books to read: Funny Story by Emily Henry, The Right Move by Liz Tomforde, and The Flatshare by Beth O’Leary
Libra
Love Triangle
Notoriously indecisive, Libras are by far the most likely sign to find themselves torn between two potential lovers. Like, I’m pretty sure that every main character in Challengers is a Libra, because the tension between Tashi and her two leading men screams cardinal air sign. Of course, with most love triangle romances, there’s usually one choice that is clearly the better match from the beginning—it just might take the Libra a little bit longer than everyone else around them to realize which choice is the right one. Knowing how diplomatic and dependable this sign is, though, they’re sure to come around to their true love eventually.
Books to read: Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas, It Ends With Us by Colleen Hoover, and The Summer I Turned Pretty by Jenny Han
Scorpio
Enemies-to-Lovers
Scorpios are super mysterious, so they love nothing more than the slowest of slow-burn romance tropes: enemies-to-lovers. It takes a long time to get past a Scorpio’s cool exterior, and they’re definitely ones to give off the wrong impression on a first meeting that might just unintentionally ignite a feud. However, most Scorpios are big lovers at heart, which is why enemies-to-lovers is ultimately where they’ll net out with their romances. The most famed of all enemies-to-lovers is naturally Pride and Prejudice, but this trope is all over pop culture, from 10 Things I Hate About You to 27 Dresses. It’s also one of the sexiest tropes…go figure for Scorpio.
Books to read: Beach Read by Emily Henry, A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas, and The Hating Game by Sally Thorne
Sagittarius
Mistaken Identity
Sagittarians are curious and compassionate, which makes them the most likely sign to have an extremely romantic fling with a complete stranger. Like a wild tryst on vacation in a foreign country with a mysterious stranger who is actually secretly a billionaire or an international pop star. Sagittarians saw Selena Gomez in Monte Carlo growing up and decided that that would be a dream scenario for them. Of course, with Sagittarius’s love of adventure, even if their mysterious suitor disappears, they’ll persevere to find out their true identity.
Books to read: Things We Never Got Over by Lucy Score, Someone to Watch Over Me by Lisa Kleypas, and Nerd Crush by Alisha Emrich
Capricorn
One Bed
Capricorns love their space, which is exactly why they would be the zodiac sign to end up in a “there’s only one bed” romance trope scenario. This is one of those romance tropes that gets a lot of hate for being cliché…and honestly, probably most of that hate is from Capricorns. But there’s just something so endearing about the idea that two characters, whether in a rom-com or romantasy story, have to be in close proximity for a night due to a lack of space. Think about The Proposal or even It Happened One Night…you can’t honestly stand here and tell me that workaholic Margaret Tate in The Proposal isn’t a Capricorn.
Books to read: The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren, From Blood and Ash by Jennifer L. Armentrout, and Delilah Green Doesn’t Care by Ashley Herring Blake
Aquarius
Penpals-to-Lovers
Penpals-to-lovers is one of the most criminally underrated romance tropes, but creative Aquarians fit the bill perfectly. They are unpredictable, independent, and super smart, so they’re definitely the most likely zodiac sign to start writing to a mysterious, possibly anonymous penpal before falling madly in love with them. Amanda Seyfried is the queen of penpals-to-lovers movies with Dear John and Letters to Juliet, and all of her characters totally give off Aquarius energy. Aquarians are also a bit quirky, which is why they would love a romantasy spin on the penpals-to-lovers romance trope, like in Rebecca Ross’s Divine Rivals. Aquarians, it might just be time to start corresponding with a sultry stranger!
Books to read: Divine Rivals by Rebecca Ross and Yours Truly by Abby Jimenez
Pisces
Best Friend’s Sibling
It’s no secret that Pisceans are biiiiig yearners. Empathetic and occasionally emotional, this water sign is the type to spot a diamond in the rough or find love where others don’t necessarily expect them to, which is why the best friend’s sibling trope fits them perfectly. Obviously, if you watched the most recent season of Bridgerton, you have a great example of this dynamic between Penelope and Colin. This trope is everywhere in pop culture, from Colleen Hoover’s Ugly Love to the 2018 chaos that was The Kissing Booth. The lovable messiness of this trope is distinctly Piscean—in spite of the risks, this sign is always going to find a way to be with the one they love.
Books to read: Homerun Proposal by Maren Moore, Romancing Mister Bridgerton by Julia Quinn, and Fix Her Up by Tessa Bailey
