Have you ever fallen for someone only to realize they’re secretly a billionaire? Or a prince? Or, oh, just a government spy with a kill count?
This week, Nikki and Meg are diving deep into one of the most over-the-top, high-drama romance tropes of all time: SECRET IDENTITY ROMANCE.
What’s inside this episode:
* The "Love Me Despite" Factor: Why the conflict in these stories is always I want to be loved for me, not my title/wealth/dangerous profession.
* The Aladdin Effect: How romance novels use this trope to explore class dynamics, privilege, and public vs. private identity.
* The Almost Reveal: That agonizing moment where the specialist boy (gender-neutral term!) almost confesses…but doesn’t.
* The Uno Reverse Card Reveal: Sometimes, the "commoner" love interest is actually hiding a secret, too. (Plot twist!)
Check out our list of secret identity romances on Amazon: https://amzn.to/4kiWZbq *affiliate link
Books & Media We Mention:
* Crazy Rich Asians (film)
* A Princess in Theory by Alyssa Cole
* Ever After (film)
* The Prince and Me (film)
* True Lies (film)
* Mr. & Mrs. Smith (film)
* Roman Holiday (film)
* The Billionaire Brotherhood series by Lucy Lennox
* Prince of Lies by Lucy Lennox
* The Spy & Mobsters Son by Keira Andrews
* The Big Fix (Torus Intercession Book 5)
* How to Catch a Prince by Ana Ashley
* Felix & The Prince by Lucy Lennox
* Interview with Harrison Ford and Allison Hammond
* The Gorge (film)
* Only One Bed by Katie Wild
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View the full show notes on our Substack.
Order Meg’s debut novel, Peppermint Bark, No Bite (affiliate link)
Shop our affiliate book recs on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/shop/caseboltcreative
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