Nothing Taylor Swift does is kept secret for long, and her new romance is out of her British handbag. The songstress known for getting personal in her music has a few telltale habits that tip off when a relationship really starts to matter for her. Besides putting her deepest thoughts into verse with pen and paper, she often purchases property to show her affection. Some months ago, she got herself a London apartment very near to where Joe Alwyn still lives with his parents. Since March, Taylor and Joe have been taking to the streets in disguise and deepening their romance.

Handsome, but no stranger

Joe Alwyn is not a household name, but he's getting there. Search results show a 65% surge in finding out about the youthful heartthrob since the story of love with Taylor Swift broke into news headlines. The blonde and blue-eyed actor got his break when he was cast in Ang Lee’s modern wartime saga, “Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk,” last year, opposite Kristen Stewart. The film got mixed reviews from raves to falling short on message, but Joe certainly got noticed. Even during his press junket for the movie, everyone praised his star power potential.

No one can accuse Joe Alwyn of being afraid to take risks. He earned his leading role while still in school, so he gave up academics for the unsure world of pursuing acting.

Taylor Swift changed worlds, too. She moved into the pop world with “Red” and reigned after years of success in the country, and still embraces both worlds warmly. No one can help but notice that Taylor's last three men have been British, so that seems to be a characteristic that may stick. There is something about having a nearby home base that indicates that a new man has stolen her heart.

Putting down roots

Back in 2012, when Taylor was wooing Conor Kennedy, she paid $5.7 million for a spacious Hyannis Port hideaway. The hot summer romance was fizzled by October, barely in time for the renovations to finish. Swift was able to recoup a tidy $1 million profit when the property was sold in 2013. She made a splash in London and everywhere paparazzi positioned themselves with Harry Styles.

She made a point of meeting Tom Hiddleston's mom across the pond on very personal terms very early on. The “HiddlesSwift” connection was very public, with the star of “The Night Manager” even sporting his love on undershirts.

Just a month or so before things went sour with Calvin Harris, Taylor posted a photo of “the best present I've ever gotten” as she described then—an olive tree in her backyard from Calvin. That living tribute will remain for years, as do memories and songs.

Taylor Swift shows that she likes planting her affections deeply, but perhaps she's taken a lesson from the Shania Twain song, “No One Needs to Know.” Cozy nights of cuddling with a movie can make for fine romance, too, without flash bulb glares. This couple may be giving themselves time to grow into at least the seedling stage before sharing a red carpet.