This was such a cute YA romcon, with a sweet love story while still managing to touch on some heavier subjects, such as emotional abuse, misogyny and poverty. It's a quick read, but a satisfying one. Both main characters grow a lot throughout the story, and the side characters are interesting as well, though I wish they'd been more rounded-out. Worth a read if you're a YA fan! Thanks to @inkyardpress and @netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for a review. All opinions are my own.

thanks to the publisher and netgalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review

this book could’ve been soooo good but i didn’t love it. the premise is a very unbelievable, especially the mixup at the airport?? absolutely no way that would happen in 2023 america.

the cover art for this book however is GORGEOUS.

I’m a huge fan of kdramas and if you like the light romances with a drop of familial angst, you will adore Susan Lee novels.

She writes with the nostalgia of all the 80s romcoms I loved growing up and still enjoy today as we follow studious and frugal Jessica to NYC for an internship turn executive role that was intended for the pampered and terribly uninterested Elijah. They make an unlikely team considering their extremely different social backgrounds but Lee’s writing bonds us to their separate experiences and growth throughout the novel. She gives playfulness, flirting, embarrassments and a big lesson in the pressures of heading to college that many parents tend to dish out not realizing there’s still so much to learn and explore about ourselves in the last of our teen years!!

This book was a quick read for me, really cute and quirky! I enjoyed reading about the exaggerated personas of each of the main characters and thought their relationship though a bit insta-lovey, was still quite adorable.

I will purchase for our collection, but overall this title was not for me. I am curious to see what my teen readers think. I found the dialog to be stiff and unnatural for teens. I also thought some of the phrases were "cringe" for lack of a better word and I just didn't believe that these two characters were 17/18. I think this would have been a far more successful story if the characters were aged up into adult.

I adored this novel! This young adult romance was fun, fluffy, and very enjoyable. Jessica and Elijah are both in New York for the summer. They find their identities to be flipped when working at the same internship. Jessica is now in Elijah’s spot, and is receiving the ultimate privileged treatment like a personal driver, her own mansion, and her own office as an intern. Elijah is understanding what it’s like to not have everything handed to him and is realizing what hard work looks like.
They are both experiencing new things and are learning more about themselves. Likewise, the two become close as they work together to make sure their scheme works. The romance between these two was so sweet. Elijah fell hard for her and continued to make choices to show her he cared. It was great to also have Korean representation and a glimpse into how racism and sexism play a role in their culture. Their struggles were relatable and it was so nice seeing genuine friendships built during their time in New York.

Thank you NetGalley for this arc in exchange for an honest review!

Jessica Lee arrives for her internship in New York expecting to make the most out of her experience despite the position she is in and secure the recommendation letters that will help her get into college with decent amount of financial aid. Elijah Ri joins the internship at the same company, Haneul Corporation, which his father owns prepared to do nothing and rebel against his father's expectations. However, everything is not what the pair expects. Jessica finds herself with her own cook, chauffeur, and brownstone, while Elijah finds himself navigating the opposite of his chaebol life, sharing one apartment with nine other interns and shopping for all essentials from one store. Jessica and Elijah realizes this mistake comes from the Korean name that they both share: Lee Yoo-jin. Having a glimpse on how the other part of the world lives, Elijah and Jessica decide to switch their lives for this summer, creating Operation Name Drop. Caught in the whirlwind of love and the bustling city, <i>The Name Drop</i> explores what it means to take control of your own life and how important some people are in shaping your character.

This book lived up to its expectations! I loved all the characters, and I loved reading how much they helped each other grow. You really do have to read it yourself to gain full appreciation for all the characters. Told in both Jessica's and Elijah's perspective, you will find yourself embarking into a new world at every few chapters. Jessica's struggles are very relatable, and Elijah's desire to choose who he wants to be is also something that resonates loudly in life. I'm kind of shocked how Jessica's train of thought related so much to mine. It's books like these that help you feel heard and less alone, which I treasure dearly. I'm very impressed by how this book is crafted, and I look forward to Susan Lee's future writing! <i>The Name Drop</i> is a cute and fast paced love story that will surely satisfy the summer of love cravings of any reader!

Thank you NetGalley and Inkyard Press for sending me an e-copy of this book for an honest review!

3.5 stars!

An adorable, opposites attract romcom with a meaningful focus on balancing familial expectations while carving your own path and space in life. After an unlikely, but humorous mix-up over having the same name, Jessica and Elijah discover this mix-up could be fortuitous and decide to swap places during their summer internship in order to gain a fresh perspective and new opportunities.

Jessica and Elijah’s friendship felt authentic and I enjoyed their meaningful conversations about broadening your worldview and using your influence to amplify others’ voices. I also appreciated the thoughtful social commentary on classism and the misogyny that runs rampant within corporations. While extremely likable, I felt the characters lacked dimension and there was more focus on their Name Drop plan than their characters’ growth.

Overall, I thought it was a cute, fun read with an important social commentary!

I really enjoyed Lee’s debut novel Seoulmates so I was very excited to delve into The Name Drop. Lee’s novels feel like reading through a K-drama plot in the best way!

A summer internship morphs into romance and wanderlust in the story. Elijah and Jessica share the same (Korean) name and decide to switch places for the summer to see how the other half lives. Many mixups and mishaps ensue but their plan launches a journey of self-discovery for the two trying to decide their careers and break out of the mold their parents have set for them.

It was endearing to see Elijah and Jessica open up to each other and watch their romance develop over the course of the story. Readers get to immerse themselves in a New York City summer and visit iconic locations such as Central Park and the New York City Public Library (seen in multiple blockbuster films) through the character’s adventures. It was an entertaining story from beginning to end and it’s core it’s a novel about carving ut your own path in life. Taking risks may be scary but you’ll never know what opportunities will open up for you!

ARC provided by NetGalley

DNF @ 70%

So the thing is I just don’t care. Like I have gotten 70% of the way into this story and I do not really care about any of the characters. None of them feel well developed in both their personalities and motivations. And this lack of development is showing here in the late game.

Like I love the premis of this story. It is such a good idea and is done pretty well near the start but now that the novelty of it has worn off I am left with not a lot to show for it. That premis was really driving the first 40-50% of the story and now that it has run it’s course there is not much left of interest to me.

And I think this may be a thing with me and this authors writing style since I also just couldn’t get into her last book. Also loved that premis but just completely lost interest in the story even after months.

Also also, just everything about the college admissions process was just so WRONG. Like just pure misinformation. I have recently done all of that, I just finished my freshman year, the MC in this story has no idea what she is talking about. She could have and would have 100% gotten scholarships, gotten into good schools, and been fine. This thing about references is just so wrong. You are telling me there is not a single teacher in her whole school who she couldn’t have asked for a letter of recommendation. So many teachers are happy to write those and help you get into college. The only time I had ever hear about a bad letter was when a student who blew up a science lab asked that science teacher for a letter, as long as you don’t do that you should be fine. Additionally she was on the tennis team, she mentioned this, I think she was even the captain. Her coach would have 100% written her a letter.

And on top of that I am pretty sure the author does. It know the difference between a hackathon or a game jam. I am a compsci major and just this aspect of the story was just so not correct. Never read anything about your job or something you have training in, unless the author also has that training you will notice nothing but what is wrong and not be able to enjoy the story.

Another fun read by Susan Lee! This was too cute and I got swept up in the story right away!

Notable lines (and there were many to showcase how much I love NYC):

"Every sound, the honk of a taxi horn, the food vendors rolling their carts, the trash trucks grabbing bags of garbage left out on the curbs, people yelling and cursing at each other, construction and scaffolding on every block, each has its own moment in the symphony but play together to create the masterpiece titled 'City.'"

Two students come to NYC for an internship at a massive tech company. Elijah is the son of the CEO and Jessica has worked hard to get the lowest level internship she could. Things get complicated when Jessica gets flown out to NYC first class and stays in a beautiful brownstone. Meanwhile, Elijah is forced to work with the underpaid staffer and live in a tiny NYC apartment. Once internships start Jessica and Elijah quickly realize that their Korean name are the same and they accommodations got switched. They eventually decide to keep them switch so they can both experience a different kind of summer than they are used to. The Name Drop was cute friends to lovers story that's full of funny moments.

“There’s a familiar flutter in my belly and I don’t hold back this time. Release the butterflies.”

When I finished reading Seoulmates by Susan Lee, I KNEW I had to try and read her next book as soon as possible - I’m a sucker for a sweet, cute, YA and this delivered! This whole book gave me the Prince and Pauper vibes all throughout! The mystery and allure of switching into the lives/lifestyle of another person and what it all entails. Who do I need to talk to at Netflix to get this movie made?! I’m sure the cover of the book itself is enough to reel you in, but if that didn’t do the trick, then maybe hearing about how swoony Elijah is with Jessica will 😍 

The only thing I would’ve loved to see more into is the parents conflict with both Elijah and Jessica and how that finished out.

Also, Susan Lee, PLEASE tell me there will be a story for Elijah’s sister!!! You can’t throw in that little meeting interaction and leave me hanging like that 😭 And surely, surely, she will have broken that glass elevator at Hanuel 👀

Another YA that I loved. These YA authors are killing it lately. It was a fun, witty, quick read and now I have to go back and read the other books by this author.

Same name, different worlds! The Name Drop was super cute and fun, and I loved every minute of it. Susan Lee never disappoints

As expected from Susan, another killer book!

Susan is a master of YA banter, creating realistic dialogue, and never failing to make me laugh at her character's inner monologue. Elijah is my bean and I wanted to both slap him in love a few times and give him the biggest hug. He's a "bad boy", but Susan does a great job of making him likable, but still rough and gritty around the edges. He's unapologetically himself and very unfiltered which I loved!

It's a super fun read that flies you through the plot at breakneck speed, but also deals with heavier issues such as misogyny in the workplace and explores class differences.

Content:

Swearing pretty frequently as Elijah has a mouth on him, but it was also part of his charm so. XD

The Name Drop captured me with it's blurb and I'm happy to see this book delivered what was promised in the marketing and also delivered something i didn't expect it to.

The main characters are lovable and easy to root for. The premise of the book, on it's own so interesting, but what makes that work so much better is how deeply we can connect to the characters in this tale. Their feelings, their emotions, their lives are shown to us in a very understandable way and it's something we all go through at times.

This friends to lovers romcom filled with angst, heartwarming emotions and discovery is what your next read should be.

I adored this sweet young adult romcom and coming-of-age about Elijah and Jessica, two teens who are from completely different worlds that switch places during a summer internship in New York City, NY.

Elijah was able to experience a summer of being a "normal" kid, while Jessica was involved in the Executive Internship at Haneul Corporation (Elijah's dad is the CEO !!!). It's giving "Prince and the Pauper" but add in a splash of romance, set it in corporate America and make it *diverse*. Their romance was a slower burn, giving a lot of friends-to-lovers, forced-proximity goodness.

Besides the actual book, I appreciated Susan Lee's letter to the readers before the book begins. I hope this remains in the book when it's published because I think it's so important to spread the message of "it's okay to change your mind, even when you are in your 20s/30s/40s & on. It's never too late to try something new & to change course in your career."

Jessica’s summer plans are set— an internship in NYC at a Korean tech company. An internship she desperately needs in order to secure a letter of recommendation for snagging a financial scholarship to the college of her dreams.
Elijah is also headed to the company’s NYC office, but he won’t be in the regular internship track, he’s son to the CEO and will be in the executive track and he’s dreading it.
Thanks to identical Korean names, Jessica is mistaken for Elijah at the airport check in. Suddenly, she finds herself in first class and being whisked to a fancy NYC brownstone. All the while, Elijah has taken her place with the other interns and is loving flying under the radar and feeling like a normal teen for a change.
With Elijah’s father working from the Korean office, no one is aware of the mistake that has been made. Hoping to keep it that way, Elijah and Jessica agree to stay in their swapped places but on the condition they meet regularly to update the other in case of probing parents. Opposites attract and these meet-ups soon turn electric thanks to the pair’s undeniable chemistry.
As the summer progresses, the interns, led by Jessica, organize a huge video game design convention but things go awry when both Elijah and Jessica’s parents discover what they’ve been up to.
This was a fast-paced, dual POV read. The NYC setting was enjoyable and the cast of characters were great. Thank you to @netgalley for the ARC.

This book was so adorable but also did not stray from touching on important topics. Finding your place in the world, wanting importance/meaning in your life, getting stuck in the "this is just how it was always done" mentality etc. I loved how much it felt like the perfect, fluffy, kdrama I would pop on to watch for some happy feels and a serotonin boost. Just like with Seoulmates, the dedication and acknowledgments made me feel all the feels.

On a personal note, following Susan's Seventeen's Face the Sun world tour tour on social media last summer helped get me through a very tough time in my and my family's life so I wanted to say thank you for being unafraid to share what you love with the world.

Excited to read book three!