r/fantasyromance • u/Soggy_Pizza1299 • 1d ago

Book Request Looking for book recommendations: Secret society/hidden world FMC thrown into regular modern life with an ordinary MMC

Hey everyone,

I’ve been trying to scratch a very specific itch lately and could use some help finding book recommendations.

I’m looking for something where the FMC belongs to a secret organization, hidden world, or magical society, but due to circumstances (leaving, hiding, a mission, exile, etc.), she has to live a regular, mundane modern life. Meanwhile, the MMC is completely normal and ordinary in that modern setting.

Kind of like the Shadowhunters vibe where there's a whole hidden supernatural/secret underworld parallel to the normal world, but focusing heavily on that contrast between her secret background and an ordinary love interest.

(This craving actually started because I was thinking about an old Harry Potter fanfic I read ages ago where the FMC was a witch dealing with a non-wizard/muggle dynamic, but I completely lost the title and can't find it anywhere!)

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u/Anachacha Ix's tits! 23h ago

Now that I think about it, I don't know a single book that has the trope. It's always the FMC who's clueless 😕

It doesn't match your request fully, but {outlander} and {what the wind knows} has FMCs who accidentally travel back in time and need to pretend to be "normal" in the time period they ended up.

I hope you find recs, because the trope sounds intriguing!

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u/Soggy_Pizza1299 12h ago

Thanks, I'll check this out. I've seen clips of outlander, though, the series 🤣🤣. I've only always seen where the FMC is clueless as well and not the other way around. 

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u/raggedradness Probably recommending: The House Witch 1d ago

https://giphy.com/gifs/fGX80AAczeBEOOwEoK

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u/raging_dusk 17h ago

The only thing that I can think of that kinda fits is the {Broken Lands series by TA White}. It's set in a post-apocalyptic world so "modern life" is already strange. The warlord MMC is unaware that the FMC is a part of a society that still hold history and relics of the civilization that caused the apocalypse.

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u/romance-bot 17h ago

The Broken Lands by T.A. White
Rating: 4.11⭐️ out of 5⭐️
Topics: fantasy, commander, third-person-pov, paranormal, magic

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u/Soggy_Pizza1299 12h ago

Thanks, I'll check this out too

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u/Objective-Papaya8194 15h ago

I’m about 50% into {Wild Reverence by Rebecca Ross}. It’s about a god and a human. The god’s realm exists alongside humans, which is pretty cool and the FMC does randomly find herself in the human realm early into the book. But, the plot isn’t necessarily about her acclimating to the human realm and living a normal life (just guessing since I’m not finished yet). So far the plot is more politics forward. I am enjoying the contrast in culture and behaviors between gods and humans, it’s very evident in the writing.

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u/Zestyclose-Olive8106 14h ago

Okay so maybe not an EXACT fit but have to throw out { Smoke and Scar by Gretchen Powell Fox } she is the badass shadow mommy and he's just a human.

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u/Adorable-Fault-3118 9h ago edited 9h ago

{Mistborn}? This is the closest thing I could think of.

{Good Spirits} except it's the FMC that is ordinary and MMC is from a parallel world.

{Violet Thistlewaite Is Not a Villain Anymore} I think this works?

{Clean Sweep} kinda? He's a werewolf but he doesn't know about her whole alien world.

Edit: An HR pick: Never Judge a Lady By Her Cover, she secretly runs a gambling club and MMC has no idea

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u/romance-bot 9h ago

Mistborn Trilogy by Brandon Sanderson
Rating: 4.64⭐️ out of 5⭐️
Steam: 1 out of 5 - Glimpses and kisses
Topics: fantasy, high fantasy, dystopian, magic, paranormal

Good Spirits by B.K. Borison
Rating: 4.19⭐️ out of 5⭐️
Steam: 4 out of 5 - Explicit open door
Topics: contemporary, christmas, paranormal, m-f romance, time travel

Violet Thistlewaite Is Not a Villain Anymore by Emily Krempholtz
Rating: 3.92⭐️ out of 5⭐️
Steam: 3 out of 5 - Open door
Topics: fantasy, magic, witches, grumpy & sunshine, small town

Clean Sweep by Ilona Andrews
Rating: 4.19⭐️ out of 5⭐️
Steam: 1 out of 5 - Glimpses and kisses
Topics: contemporary, take-charge heroine, werewolves, magic, vampires

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u/AccessCompetitive Champion of the Search Function 8h ago

I want this book now though. Someone make this! I’m ok with reading a MMC being dazzled and amazed. FMC can find dazzlement in what we might perceive as ordinary but is actually amazing when you think about it.

It’s not related to your request, but I just love in Radiance when Brishen is so completely creeped out by Idilko having irises and sclera and that he can see them move around when she’s looking around horrifies him…it’s so good 🙏

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u/Living_Measurement14 7h ago

Wait this is {Tithe by Holly Black}. The FMC grew up thinking she’s human, but she’s actually faerie. The MMC is faerie too so that part might not fit your ask.

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u/romance-bot 7h ago

Tithe by Holly Black
Rating: 3.69⭐️ out of 5⭐️
Steam: 1 out of 5 - Glimpses and kisses
Topics: contemporary, fae, urban fantasy, young adult, magic

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u/BackgroundCabinet547 12h ago

hear me out ... zodiac academy lol

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u/Soggy_Pizza1299 12h ago

Wait, zodiac academy is like that?  I've read the first few chapters of the first book in the series 🤣🤣

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u/BackgroundCabinet547 12h ago

its starts with them not knowing they are princes .. well if you want undercover fmc -- vampire academy? - re zodiac academy.. they might not be literary masterpieces.. but dude i had such a fun time reading them .. and giggled so much. another one is bonds that tie series (but i have one sided beef with jbree) and eventually got saturated of the reverse harem (too much sex lol)

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u/BackgroundCabinet547 12h ago

but first 2 books of bonds that tie are great