The Namedrop by Susan Lee is a story about Elijah and Jessica, interns at Haneul Corporation who share the same Korean name. They switch identities to escape their circumstances, and as they navigate their charade, a romantic spark ignites while they strive to protect their secrets and futures.

I was really excited about reading The Namedrop after loving Susan’s debut, Seoulmates! Young Adult books aren't usually my go-to, but I was intrigued by the premise. The dynamic between Jessica and Elijah, complete opposites, captured my interest. The book tackled important themes like social disparities, privilege, familial expectations, and authenticity. The author skillfully made New York City feel like a character in itself. I enjoyed the alternating chapters and found Jessica's character to be quite deep though Elijah's felt a bit lacking. Despite being a tad over-the-top at times, it was a charming and breezy read. While it wasn't exactly my taste, I'd recommend it if you're in the mood for a quick and adorable story.

Thank you Inkyard Press for the free ebook and the author for the free physical ARC. All opinions are my own.

Mistaken identities, a sweet workplace romance, and all of it set against summer in New York? Yeah, it's pretty dang cute. I liked watching Jessica become more assertive and Elijah become more generous. The hackathon overall was super cool and I loved how much of the book was focused on planning it. My one complaint was that I wasn't quite sure how the switch made any logistical sense, but it happens I guess?

Overall a cute YA contemporary with a twist on The Prince & the Pauper.

*Thank you to Inkyard Press and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest review*

“And Elijah? Be happy. Every single day, make choices to make yourself happy.”

I flew through this book, reading it in only a few days. I really enjoyed the story, but the characters felt a little flat at times. Leaving the dialogue feeling stilled. I enjoyed the premise and the writing style was perfect for a YA. I will say that I had to suspend some disbelief for this story. There are things that happen. That seem completely unrealistic. I won’t go into them because I think the less you know going into it, the more you will enjoy the story.

I thought the romance between Jessica and Elijah was sweet. I enjoyed watching both of their characters grow and evolve during their time as interns. I especially enjoyed seeing Elijah reflect on the way he treated people in his past. I thought the author did a good job exploring how wealth affects family relationships.

Overall, I’d recommend this YA to readers who enjoy explorations of wealth, family, and finding yourself.

The Name Drop was just adorable. I was a little apprehensive of the prince and the pauper vibes because secrets don't always work well for me. But I felt like both Elijah and Jessica handled the switch with as much honesty and integrity as they could. From the moment he is shoved into the back of the plane in his giant coat to her realizing what happened at the office, it's just one cute moment after another.

I enjoyed their honest conversations with each other. Because of their shared circumstances, it led to more honesty between them. I loved watching him fall for her without anyone knowing. I really liked their friend group. Jessica's growth in confidence and Elijah's coming into his own self were both rewarding. I am probably going to press this right into my girls' hands now that I am done.

DNF @65%

While this book has a fun concept, it absolutely failed in execution. The only positive that kept me reading so far in was the sense of humor. Lee is definitely capable of conveying that humor in her work. However there were major flaws in the character work and the plot development.

-- plot --
The plot is one where you just really have to suspend belief and there never feels like there will be a pay off for this. What is the resolution? No one finds out at the end and they have to pretend they never switched places? Or everyone does find out and what... Elijah's dad is just *okay* with it?? I don't care enough to actually find out because nothing about the characters made me invested but watching an absolute train wreck happen in slow motion isn't an enjoyable reading experience.

-- characters --

"I'm not sure when I stopped seeing them as coworkers and started seeing them as more." As a reader, if I read this sentence and immediate think... when did this happen? There's a problem.

I was legitimately convinced I missed like 3-4 chapters at least because there was a huge jump in the character connections without any on page interaction. Like Jessica talked with the interns maybe twice before that line was said. And don't get me started on her and Elijah. I get that it is a bit of an insta-love scenario but she is just dumb and naïve about everything with him and he turns into some alpha protective tool. Not that he wasn't already a tool...

I wanted so so badly to like Elijah, I was totally blinded by how he looks on the cover cause like.... yea. But no! He's just a douche! And its played off like he doesn't have a lot of real world experience because of his sheltered super rich life style. But he never gives any hint that he's a better person under that. He goes against Jessica's wishes several times (proving he is learning nothing) and lives his "poor intern" experience like its a novel retreat experience he paid for.

While this was a bit of a rant and I decided to DNF, The Name Drop is actually better than Seoulmates so if you're determined to read either, go with The Name Drop

I really wanted to love this one since the idea of mistaken identities sounds like so much fun, but I struggled with too many aspects of the book. The plot was overly unrealistic and not executed in a way that was convincing enough to overlook, and I felt like a lot was underdeveloped, especially the main characters and their relationship. The pacing also felt rushed to me. While this one wasn't for me, I'm sure fans of the author's previous work will enjoy!

This was such a fun story. I really liked the switch a roo mess these two found themselves in. I love that it was a rom com with heart both characters grew and learned through the story and we very well developed characters. Elijah is your classic rich snobby boy and Jessica your humble yet a bit high strung girl. Swapping places is the perfect opportunity for them both but it also comes with trouble. I wanted to know how it would end up for them. It was so fun I really enjoyed every bit of the story and highly recommend it. Fun light hearted and also encourages you to look at all sides of things. I received an early copy thanks to netgalley, my opinion is my own.

This is such a fun YA book.
Elijah and Jessica embrace a case of mistaken identity.

I don’t read YA often, and this is a typical YA read but it is so much fun.
There was a lot of drama for the sake of drama.

A lot of people I have talked to have compared this to a K-drama. (I’m not the biggest fan so I will take their word on it.)

In the end this is a easy, fluffy read that will but a smile on your face and was a refreshing break from some of the more serious books I end up reading.

The Name Drop is a lighthearted YA novel set within a NYC internship with a case of mistaken identity. The CEO's son and a "nobody" girl share the same Korean name. When they realize the mistake and agree to trade places for the summer, that's when things really start to get interesting!

I liked this novel. It has well developed characters and a fast-paced plotline that keeps you reading. It was fairly predictable, but that didn't take away from the enjoyment factor. 3.5 / 5

Advanced copy courtesy of the publisher via NetGalley.

thank you so much to Inkyard Press and Colored Pages Blog Tours for gifting me an early copy in exchange for my honest review!!

THIS WAS SO PERFECT AND AMAZING AND SO CUTE 😍😍😍😍😍😍 i believe this book arrived in my life right at the moment i became obsessed with Stray Kids, so i read it while listening to their amazing songs. this is my 2nd book with Korean characters and i adored the representation and how important Korea is to them and their culture (i obviously hope it was a worthy representation since i don't know enough about Korea).
right from the start i was invested in the story, the dual POV made it easier for me to love the idea of the swap and it gave me The Parent Trap vibes but with more serious stuff. Elijah's POV was my fave, the way he starts to feel for Jessica was so beautiful and the way he didn't know what to do with his life because SAME, WHY DO WE HAVE TO CHOOSE WHAT TO STUDY AND WHAT TO DO DURING OUR LIVES AT 18 I HATE IT HERE 😑😑😑 also, we need more books where we see the work difference between men and women, every time Jessica did something amazing at work and it was ignored because she was a young woman made my blood boil because it still happens in real life and we need to change that 😭 their feelings and thoughts were realistic and they broke my heart, every time they were together my heart was sailing with them for real 💕

i'm so happy i decided to participate in this blog post because this is going straight to my faves, i truly loved and this is why i love reading rom-coms, so i can forget about my own dramas and remember some stories deserve to have a happy ending 😍😍

In the Name Drop characters Elijah and Jessica happen to share the same Korean name, which eventually leads to them swapping lives (sort of) with Elijah getting relaxation and time away from his dad and Jessica trying to network her butt off to get some recommendations for college. Essentially, it was sort of reminding me of the movie The Parent Trap where the identification twins swap lives for the summer...except these characters aren't identical twins. The characters were likeable, but they weren't memorable to me. I also feel as though there wasn't much character development for either of the characters despite everything that happens in the story. The pacing of the story was pretty decent and the story seemed to flow well. Overall, it was a sweet story to read and one that was enjoyable. I would recommend this book to others.

I didn’t enjoy this book as much as Seoulmates. For some reason, I didn’t connect as much with the characters and this story just felt more unbelievable. While there were some cute moments, overall, it was a bit boring for me. I will still continue to support Susan Lee because I enjoy reading romance books about Asian Americans and I look forward to her next novel. However, this book was just not for me.

Thank you to Inkyard Press and NetGalley for an electronic ARC of this novel.

I was a fan of Seoulmates, Susan Lee's previous work, so I was looking forward to this one, and it didn't disappoint.

Jessica Lee, who decides to go to a junior college due to finances, has won a prestigious New York City summer internship at the Korean technology company, the Haneul Corporation. Elijah Ri, the son of the head of the company, is headed to NYC for a summer experience at the same company, although he doesn't want anyone to know his true identity. A case of mistaken identity results due to the fact that they have the same Korean name. Jessica, who is ambitious and wants to make a good impression, and Elijah, who wants to know what it's like to be judged by his merit, not by who he is, decide to keep the job switch.

This is a very fun and entertaining read. It's well written and it's a fast and fun story. I would recommend it for anyone who is looking to be entertained.

I liked the premise, love kdramas, but something about this just fell short to me. The characters lacked chemistry together and it just felt... far fetched.

Thanks Netgalley for let me read this book.

I'm a huge fan of K-dramas, so this book appears to be all that I could wish for. The premise it's great, I found it original and funny, but even when it was really cute, it was just not for me. I feel bored most of the time and didn't feel any chemistry between the main characters.
Maybe it could work for a very young audience.

Honestly i love this book, I was confused on what was happening the first few chapters despite the name of the book but that was mainly on me. I love the ending of the book more than anything because it is completely certainty what will happen between then. What I would've wanted to hear more about would've been Elijah and his previous endeavors, other than that I enjoyed this book to the fullest.

I enjoyed the Korean rep and the showcase of cultural differences, even between Koreans. I’m also a HUGE sucker for women succeeding in “typically male” dominated roles. The premise of The Name Drop was a cute enough idea, but it felt like it was trying to be too many different things.

The writing and plot points to me felt young and it could have easily been a very young YA book, but then the author would add in a bunch of f-bombs which threw me off, given the tone of the rest of the book.

The characters were also a little too one dimensional for me and didn’t feel fully developed enough for my taste. I understand it’s a shorter novel, but the wishy-washy antics of Elijah were frustrating. I couldn’t figure out where his head would be throughout each chapter of his, and not in the way I usually enjoy.

I think I also just… wanted more romance. I couldn’t find myself rooting for them because the chemistry felt forced, like a script.

If you’re a fan of sweet, low stakes romances with plenty of fluff, this could be for you! I’m sad that this didn’t reach me, but I would try more from this author.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley and am voluntarily posting a review. All opinions are my own.
I really liked Susan Lee’s prior book, and her next one, The Name Drop, sounded like it would be just as much fun. But while the premise is great, I appreciate how Lee once again gets into some complex cultural and societal issues, this one felt a little underbaked by comparison.
First, the good: the two characters were pretty solid as individuals. I love the concept of Elijah running from his stifling, if privileged upbringing, and the expectations that come with it, and while he is initially unaccustomed to “regular” life, it’s a compromise he’s willing to make to escape his father’s shadow for a while. Jessica, meanwhile, is less well-off, and was hoping to take advantage of whatever opportunity she could get to find a way up the corporate ladder, and finds an opportunity to network in her field with greater advantages, due to people assuming she’s wealthy, which was already challenging due to being a woman.
But I feel like the plot was a bit too convoluted, and yet too predictable at the same time. It takes a lot of suspension of disbelief to believe this will work for even a day, and while I was willing to give it the benefit of the doubt, this was one where I didn’t find myself surprised at all by how the bomb dropped.
I also felt it was odd trying to juggle the two of them trading places with a romance plot. It really overwhelmed the book, and both suffered as a result. I don’t think there was enough time to really develop them as a couple together, as opposed to two people in the same field thrown together on occasion due to circumstance, because said circumstances still force them to go to different locations, instead of spending time together.
While I was underwhelmed by this, it could also be that I’m not the primary audience for this book. With that in mind, if you’re looking for a YA multicultural contemporary with a somewhat prominent romantic arc, I’d recommend checking this out.

Thank you to NetGalley and Inkyard Press for this DRC.
Elijah and Jessica are both headed to New York to work very different kinds of internships at Haneul Corporation. They are hoping for big changes in theirs lives but not the one that happens! They share the same Korean name: their places are switched. Surprise and confusion follows, but they decide to stay swapped and see how the other half lives and works.

Fun, fast rom-com, witty with plenty of K-pop references. Please more Seventeen!


#TheNameDrop #NetGalley

This was a quick, cute read about two kids with the same name swapping places to live out the summer of their dreams and not the summer of their parents dreams. Along the way they both discover so much about themselves and the people they want to become. They go through ups and downs but Jessica and Elijah have the best time on this journey.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for a chance to read and review.