This was my first Susan Lee book and I cannot wait to read more. Her characters are fun and loveable, with hard-hitting themes incorporated throughout like sexism in the workplace and toxic family dynamics. You can feel Lee's passion for the topics through her writing. I was rooting so hard for Elijah and Jessica's relationship; their dynamic is just so sweet and genuine. At times, I could have used a bit more complexity and drama throughout the midpoint, and, maybe as a result, the conclusion felt a bit rushed. But all the plot points made sense within the structure and I am hoping (with many fingers crossed) that Lee has plans for a spin-off with either Jessica's bff, Ella, or Elijah's sister, Hee-Jin. I would devour a book with either of them as the main character.
This book felt like a hug and Susan Lee is my new writer to watch - I am off to read SeoulMates right now!

This book gave me such a happy feeling! I didn't want to put it down. Jessica and Elijah were perfect for each other and for encouraging each other to find out who they were and who they wanted to be. I happen to love k-dramas so I also highly recommend it for other k-drama lovers! I also loved reading all the descriptions of New York City. I felt the ending was a bit abrupt, but maybe that's because I wanted more. Oh and I love the cover!!

First, there are aspects of this I won't be talking about as I am not a woman of color, and so cannot authentically discuss some of the experiences outside of having empathy for the struggles of a young woman in general.

Is the setup a little unbelievable? Absolutely. Is it worth it? Yes. This was pretty damn cute if that's what you're looking for. Jessica and Elijah have both lived restrained lives in terms of their emotions and relationships, and going along for the ride as they get a chance to turn a crush into more, and build a connection with each other was so sweet. The things that happen between them are wonderful, and I loved seeing a positive example of two young people doing their best to build each other up, recognizing when their emotions got the best of them, and accepting there might be some things they never agree on. Their pride in one another's accomplishments was heartwarming.

There are definitely difficult aspects of this book, but what I appreciate is that this knows it's a YA book - teenagers are not going to fix systemic problems. They are not going to overcome ageism with one well thrown event, they can identify and rebel against misogyny while also knowing it's a drop in the bucket, and classism is alive and well both in the US and outside of it. At it's heart, the story plot of this is about doing the best work you can for yourself, and finding the people who see it.

I also love a book that highlights a broken system - such as how internships function in the US. While some things in this may be exaggerated, the no pay or under pay, the rough living conditions, the treatment in terms of developmental opportunities, and the frustration of many of the full time employees about having to engage with interns...it's all very real in a lot of corporate America. Interns should be paid, period, and paid a living wage like everyone else. Getting paid in experience is crap, and I love that this is exposed the system without being the central plot.

This is not a book where the central focus is a cause - it's a romance set among real world problems, but at it's core, the romance is what matters.

Overall, I did enjoy this, and I will be seeking out her first book - Seoulmates - as well. The reason it's ultimately a 4 star read is because the end felt abrupt. While we absolutely get a happy ending, and a glimpse into their future that made me all heart eyes, there's a scene I wish we had for the resolution of Elijah's plot that feels empty. Definitely worth a read if you want to feel a cozy swoon!

The Name Drop was cute and I liked Jessica a lot, but there was a lot in this that didn't work for me. First, the pacing seemed off. Second, the internship wasn't as fleshed out as it should have been. The entire book is about this internship, but I didn't feel like I got a good sense of what the internship actually was. Lastly, it's always hard for me to get into characters when the character building involves flaunting their wealth. I get needing to show how wealthy they are, but the frequency of the brand name drops felt excessive.

I saw this one floating around on tiktok because of its dedication page featuring lyrics from Run BTS, but I requested this so fast after finding out what the premise was. Swapped identities? Rich kid living as a middle class and middle class living as the rich? Male lead with an actual personality? All of it combined helped make the story go by so fast.

Although I really liked it, how we made it to that ending felt a little lacking, and I really wished that we got to see a little more of their conflict with the real world. It was so nice seeing the dynamic between 2 characters that not only were different in their social positions but also in their cultures as a full Korean and Korean-American. But, I just wish there was more exploration of what that meant when it came to dealing with their experiences in NY.

As soon as I read the Kim Namjoon quote in the dedication, I knew I would love this :)

I only expected a cute and simple romcom, but I related so much to Jessica and ended up caring about her story more than anything else. I think anyone who has had to choose between personal goals and parental expectations could see themselves in these characters. There's also discussion of classism, racism, and sexism that I didn't expect, but appreciated very much!

I wasn't really interested in the romance because I feel it was a little sudden, but the ending was super cute and satisfying.

The Name Drop is a fun read (especially for kdrama lovers!) that also highlights important issues like prejudice, discrimination, and personal identity. I loved it so much and the BTS/SVT references made it even better <3

Thank you NetGalley Susan Lee and Inkyard press for this ARC.
Fun, enjoyable, and cute read for start to finish. I love the characters Jessica and Elijah. Love the cover. Highly recommend this book.

Pacing and vibes were off, had a hard time keeping interest. The characters were interesting but the story wasn't gripping like I was expecting it to be, and even the internship was lacking. DNF around 50%

So, The Name Drop is kind of a weird novel. Overall, I did like Jessica and Elijah and they had some cute moments, however there were some issues with the book.

First off, I think the book was just too short and the pacing was off. By the time Elijah and Jessica are figuring out their ruse, a fourth of the book has already gone by, which doesn’t seem like a problem, but the story just isn’t very long page-wise. Often, there would be weeks that just felt glossed over and major scenes that feel like they are missing, with only the aftermath shown. I think if the book was longer, it could have given more breathing room for the relationship and also made room for something to happen during the time between when they decide to continue pretending to be each other and the climax moments. Even the ending wrap up portion felt rushed.

Second off, there’s some details that are kind of weird. Jessica can’t get financial aid because her father makes too much money, but not enough to actually pay for college. However, he’s a Finance Director and was originally at Microsoft, so I’m just very curious where any of that money went. Like he couldn’t put any of his salary away for a college fund ever? Does their family have some kind of debt that’s not addressed? There’s also the matter of the “hackathon” which doesn’t appear to be a hackathon and is, instead, a game jam. The book tries to explain that this is a really new idea, but game jams have actually been around since 2002 in some form or another and are pretty huge in independent game development spaces. Kind of relating to this, a character is interested in game development, but the book has them going into engineering, when they would likely go into a computer science degree with a focus in game design instead.

Overall, I didn’t dislike this book, but I think maybe it needed a little more time in the oven before it was released.

Susan Lee is back with the K-Drama vibes in her second book The Name Drop! Mistaken Identity? CHECK. Handsome and charming chaebol? CHECK. Underdog MC ready to outsmart everyone at her internship to prove she's got what it takes to succeed? CHECK. Another even more incredible cover? CHECK! I was instantly enthralled bypassed the premise of The Name Drop and was so excited to get to read another ARC.

Where the character development and relationships in Seoulmates fell flat for me, The Name Drop did a much better job building out both main and side characters while giving a compelling commentary on the misogyny and elitism inherent in the work force. The romance was both believable and adorable. I would LOVE to see this adapted into a movie or a drama series!

Another, even better, delightful rom-com from Susan Lee! Thank you to NetGalley, Susan Lee ,and Inkyard Press for the e-ARC.

The Name Drop Review:

5/5 ⭐️🌸

“The Name Drop” shouts K-Dramas vibes all the way and I love it! This story is full of drama. It’s easy to read and brings together all the joy of a summer love with New York’s unique experiences.

It all begins at the JFK airport when Jessica and Elijah’s identities are mistaken because their korean names are the same. Then, all the action starts, the two agreed to stay switched in their internships at HanuelCorp.
Jessica wants to make connections that she needs for her college recommendations. Elijah Ri, on the other hand, is looking for new experiences without his privileges.
These twos chemistry is amazing and it’s impossible not to fall for them and all their families drama.

There are some references about K-dramas like one of my all time favorites 😂”The Heirs” starring Lee Min-Ho and Park Shin-hye. 🌸

Also, there are so many things about New York City. One of my favorite details included is the dollar slice of pizza 🍕 . I laughed so hard, because it is one of the most touristic things to enjoy when visiting New York. I know that because I was amazed by the same thing as Elijah was in Chapter Eleven, when I first visited New York.

Some favorite quotes:

- “It’s time for all of our hard work to pay off. And it’s time to finish everything I’ve started with these glass slippers and fake identity.” - Jessica

- “I hate that women are still fighting for opportunities and credit and deserved success and upward mobility”. - Jessica


Thanks to Netgalley and Inkyard Press I’ve had the opportunity to read the eARC of “The Name Drop”. So here is my honest review ; I totally loved this cute book.

Fun fact: The original title for the novel was “Say my Name” but at the end we got “The Name Drop” and I think it’s fantastic.

Pre-order a copy before release date: September 12,2023 and you can receive a lot of cute, bookish swag 🫰🏻🌸

Did I thoroughly enjoy this? Yes.
Do all of the details make sense? Not completely.
Did I care much about that? Not really.
Did I squeal at the BTS references? You bet your britches!

Let me begin my saying coworkers to lovers (whether it’s an enemies to lovers/friends to lovers/forced proximity situation) is one of my favorite tropes. I mean, my partner and I were coworkers before we got married. So imagine my delight when I saw Susan Lee’s second book would follow this trajectory!

But the great Lee switch made for an even more interesting journey between Jessica and Elijah! Oh this book was cuuuute and I loved it so much!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this eARC!

While The Name Drop had its moments of charm and some likable characters, the predictable plot and lightly underdeveloped characters kept it at a solid 3 stars for me. The premise of the book was fun, but the lack of surprises or twists left me wanting more given its comparison to k dramas in the description. Overall, it's a decent middle of the road read if you want a light romance, but not one that will leave you breathless.

★★.5/5

in this sweet kdrama-esque rom-com, two teens from complete opposite ends of the “social hierarchy” cross paths and accidentally switch positions for their summer internship all because of one thing: their shared name. they strike a deal to remain in their switched places in order to experience a new world that they would have had otherwise been shut off to, but their deal makes way for something more…

while i was so ready for this book, — midst of summer vacation happiness, cute kdrama watching on the side, and a hormonal high LOL — it fell flat to me. not only did it’s primarily “tell” prose make the book quite monotonous, but the lack of character and plot development did not add much of anything either.

to start, i loved the ridiculous premise of the story, because it was made in true kdrama fashion, where you just think “no way in hell this would happen in real life 😂 ”. jessica’s character was also plus, though her character descriptions became a bit repetitive. her oversharing and overthinking were awfully relatable and adorable, so she was my favorite part of the story, whereas elijah (the only other character that got minimal development) did NOTHING for me. (their relationship also did nothing for me, unfortunately 💀)

beyond the initial premise, though, the rest of the plot was quite boring. little conflicts added no angst, small moments of romance or happiness added no swooning, and the climax of the story did not feel like much of a climax, since it was VERY quickly rushed through and resolved at the end of the story. instead of the rollercoaster of emotions i usually feel during kdramas, i just felt like i was walking on a flat plain ;-; for most of the story, i was very aware of the fact that i was merely reading words and not being swept away to a summer internship in new york with the two MCs.

i do like that concepts of misogyny, sexism, and classism (as well as troubling chaebol system present in korea 👀) were included. i knew they wouldn’t be developed on, but it’s still a great start to get readers thinking of these important topics.

overall: cute, easy read!

thank you inkyard press for this ARC!

I loved this romance with k-drama roots. There is drama just for the sake of drama and plot that does not make a lot of sense but I was totally up for ignoring the problems and enjoying the story. Elijah and Jessica had an adventure that summer & I was along for the ride.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for providing an advanced readers copy of this book!

Susan Lee’s The Name Drop is everything you want in an upper-age YA novel: it has romance, a coming-of-age arc, an engaging cast of characters and an exciting setting.

When middle-class Jessica gets confused with the uber-rich Elijah— thanks to their shared Korean name— the tangle of who’s-who results in an identity swap. Jessica will slide into Elijah’s spot as an executive intern, giving her the chance to prove herself as smart, capable worker worthy of incredible scholarship letters of recommendation, and Elijah will use the less stressful internship position to take some of the pressure off from the constant badgering of his father, who insists that he must be the next CEO of the family’s sprawling business.

It’s a perfect set up for a summer of self-discovery. But will it all crumble when people start finding out that Jessica isn’t the daughter of a high-powered executive? And what about the feelings Jessica and Elijah have for each other—can they survive when they are from two different worlds?

Even if you don’t have an interest in K-Drama and SKY schools, Susan Lee’s The Name Drop is a fun and satisfying YA read.

Susan Lee is a wonderful writer and always gives off the best K-Drama romcom feels! I swear her books should be made into movies because both of them would be so freakin adorable!

Jessica Lee is eager to make the most of her internship at Haneul Cooperation, even though she’s at the bottom of the ladder. Elijah Ri is expecting the Royal treatment that comes with being the future CEO even though he doesn’t want it. They soon realize that they both share the same Korean name and decide to switch spots for the summer. And things get interesting real quick.

I adored these characters so much. I wanted to slap Elijah but also kiss him at the same time. This was a very fast paced story and I found myself flying through it. It’s a very sweet book but also has some heavier themes as well.

This book comes out on September 12th so make sure you grab a copy!

Thank you so much to Inkyard Press for the arc!

a great mistaken identity book, i love everything by this author

thank you to netgalley and to the publisher for this review copy.

This was such a fun and drama-filled romance. Typically when romances are full of drama I tend to turn my nose up at them but in "The Name Drop' it made sense. First of all, the premise is right up my alley a case of mistaken identity causes two teens from opposite sides of the financial spectrum to meet and ultimately, fall in love. Jessica and Elijah were so cute and I loved how throughout the book you can see their characters grow into young adults.

Of course, considering the plot you know eventually the poo is going to strike the blades of a fan so there is an underlying tension of waiting for when they get caught and the fallout. This is where the meat of the drama is, and some drama it is, It only takes a couple of chapters there is a lot that happens. Despite being a romance, there are some serious topics that Lee handles like misogyny and classism.

I do appreciate the epilogue as I always wonder how things go after the ending, and it went exactly as I hope.

Overall, a great romance.