By Kristen Gaydos

Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos have found the magic recipe for sustained romance. My feature in The List shares why their relationship works.

Here are some of the strange things we’ve noticed about their relationship — we even asked Susan Winter, a New York City-based relationship expert, for her take on some of these unusual facets of their love story.

Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos hid their relationship at first

Overall, relationship expert Susan Winter said the couple played it smart by keeping their relationship hush-hush. “Keeping a new workplace romance under wraps is a good idea in the initial stages of partnership development,” Winter told The List exclusively. “It’s wise to remain discreet, as the ‘honeymoon phase’ holds heightened expectations that might not survive as time progresses.” Of course, she said it can be difficult not to slip up and to keep co-workers in the dark, “but the benefit lies in eliminating outside chatter that could dissuade or confuse the new partnership.”

Working together could add stress, but also be beneficial for Ripa and Consuelos

While some people find joy in working alongside their spouses, it can cause stress because the couple’s lives are so entwined. However, having a career or job in common can be a fulfilling experience, said relationship expert Susan Winter. “Couples that work together must negotiate their differences of opinion and arrive at viable solutions,” she said. “Done well, it creates a solid platform for ongoing partnership growth. … Solid relationships flourish by having a “third thing.” That means a joint passion, business, or goal that keeps the couple in current conversation.”

Not having something else in common besides just the fact that they’re in a relationship can be troublesome, Winter continued, because living separate lives can make partners distant. “They siphon off into their own interests and eventually feel too far away from each other to reconnect,” Winter said. “Far too many relationships dissolve because the couples no longer interact.”

Read the full story covering Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos’s relationship on The List.