Thank you to NetGalley and Inkyard Press for the advance copy of this title in exchange for an honest review (with apologies for reviewing significantly after publication).

I have been reading many books with Asian main characters lately, so I was delighted to find this one in my rather large to-read pile.

Jessica and Elijah come from very different places and circumstances, but they are scheduled to intern at the same company over the summer. Their differences mean that their internships are also supposed to be different, but there's a small glitch that changes their paths from day one--their Korean names are the same. And thus, the girl hoping to earn references for a scholarship winds up on the executive track, while the son of the CEO, who hopes to spend the summer finding himself, winds up crammed into a tiny apartment with the rest of the regular interns.

There are plenty of near misses, both expected and unexpected, as the two realize what has happened and decide to let it play out. A story of learning how the other half lives and self-discovery, with a bit of romance thrown in, as well as family expectations. I loved the main characters, so I loved their story, despite some mixed feelings about how everything turns out.

I had the pleasure of receiving and being accepted for an eARC of this book through NetGalley and Inkyard Press. The reason for my request was the modern retelling of The Prince and the Pauper story, coupled with the author's prior work, which I was already familiar with, having read Seoulmates.

Jessica is a top student who will be attending junior college to save money, and heads to New York for a summer intern position with a Korean tech company called Haneul Corporation. Elijah is the privileged son of Haneul’s Seoul-based CEO and will spend his summer at the same company as an executive trainee. But because Jessica and Elijah share the same Korean name (Yoo-Jin Lee), they are accidentally assigned each other’s seats on the Los Angeles to New York City flight. When they land, the confusion continues as they’re brought to the other one’s work and housing accommodations. They decide to keep their confusion a secret and try to avoid falling in love with each other.

What made this retelling unique was that the main characters were of different genders, a departure from most adaptations of The Prince and the Pauper. This kept me engaged and interested in the story. I also appreciated the well-rounded supporting characters, such as Elijah's sister and the other interns he shared his housing with.

I cannot think of any shortcomings in this book. However, I do believe that the story would not have been as impactful if Jessica had been the CEO's daughter instead of Elijah.

If you are a fan of The Prince and the Pauper, enjoy reading contemporary romance stories, or have an interest in New York City or the author's prior work in Seoulmates, then this book is worth checking out!

This wasn't a bad read by any means but I got bored easily after a few chapters. The premise was actually intriguing and very k-drama-ish. The characters were well developed and interesting too, but the romance wasn't convincing enough and I didn't get what they saw in each other. I loved how the book explored the themes of misogyny in the corporate world and many other aspects. But what irritated me the most was the drama and third act breakup at the end. It was unnecessary and could have been avoided completely. The ending also felt rushed and unsatisfactory.

the plot of this is so so good and a unique idea! i just didn't feel that connected to the main characters or think that they had much chemistry together so I found it hard to root for them.

Such a fun read! Love Susan Lee! This felt like a hallmark rom com, I was immediately intrigued! Loved the office setting!

This was a great YA contemporary novel, with good characters and plot!

I received an e-ARC from the publisher

This was a really cute YA book and I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this. I thought that the switch with characters having the same name was a really good idea.

This was a cute YA romance - and I always enjoy an NYC story - but unfortunately it didn't quite live up to the hope I had for it. What started strong moved too fast which left me feeling unsatisfied as a reader.

REVIEW✨
The Name Drop
By Susan Lee
••• ••• ••• ••• ••• ••• ••• •••
So I loved Susan Lee’s other book Seoulmates so I was excited for this one. However, I was disappointed and this one fell flat for me. The back bones of the plot sounded so fun to me. The son of the CEO and a poor girl, have the same name and switch places for a summer internship. Sign me up!!! And that cover is gorgeous, I was so excited for it. But sadly, it didn’t deliver. The story started out cute, but it lacked plot and it seemed to drag on…

I enjoyed the writing style, the dual POV’s, the setting, the topics and issues that were addressed. I didn’t really connect with either of the main characters, there wasn’t much chemistry between the two of them, the ending had a lot going on that didn’t really make sense to the characters. And it simply just wasn’t for me.

Romance: ❤️
Plot points: 💥💥💥
Stars: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

While I wasn’t expecting much from this story, it was a little disappointing in just how predictable it was. There was nothing new or substantial to differentiate it from a multitude of other stories with similar plot lines. For its moment, it kept me entertained, which I suppose was its job and it did do that. But for anything truly outstanding, this was not.

A fun read with a mistaken identity twist. Both Elijah Ri and Jessica Lee have been accepted to an internship program at Hanuel Corporation. I enjoyed the realistic interactions for both Elijah and Jessica as tickets are booked in either their Korean or English name, the only difference is Elijah is heir apparent for the company and the internship is just a step in Elijah’s predetermined path to becoming the next President of the company. Jessica’s father works in a separate part of the company, so Elijah and Jessica use the opportunity to grant the other their greatest wish: Elijah who looks for anonymity and Jessica who wants a full scholarship.

Plot - 3
Good, but nothing unexpected or shiny. Pretty much what you want and expect from a YA romance.
Writing and Editing - 3
I enjoyed the story and was able to immerse myself. The visual descriptions didn’t blow my mind and the banter was cute if a little standard.
Character Development - 4
The primary characters were adorable and absolutely my favorite part of the book. I think the side characters could have used a bit more fleshing out.
Personal Bias - 3
Really enjoyed and would happily recommend for someone looking in this genre.
Final Score - 3.25

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for granting me free access to the advanced digital copy of this book.

Book Name: The Name Drop
Author: Susan Lee

ARC
Thank you to NetGalley and Inkyard Press for an ARC of The Name drop by Susan Lee

Stars: 4
Spice: 0 (YA)

Standalone
Fast Paced
Dual POV
Contemporary Romance
Korean Representation

- Mistaken Identity
- Fun and Cute
- K-Drama Vibes
- Finding your Place
- Family Pressure and Expectations
- Office Romance
- Light Read
- Fluffy

Sometimes I find it hard to put into words why I enjoy a book like The Name Drop. It was just a fun and cute story. I really liked the characters. It’s that perfect relaxing read.

Jessica and Elijah have hijinks that are reminiscent of a K-drama but not over the top. It’s a fun plot and yes some of it would necessarily happen but that’s why it’s a story. That’s what’s so enjoyable about K-dramas too.I thought it was fun that they had switched identities and then kind of went with it.

The real heart of the story is two young people trying to find where they belong amongst the pressure of family expectations and the standards they put on themselves. When I say standard you put on yourself that doesn’t always mean you have high expectations for yourself. Sometimes you expect yourself to fail. So I always like stories like that, that give that little bit of figuring out who you are.

The romance was cute and light.

Overall I just enjoyed the book as something to be enjoyed. Just a read that I can clear my head with and have happy feels.

If you're a fan of K-dramas, particularly those set in an office environment, then this book is an absolute must-read. While I typically don't gravitate towards stories in an office setting, this book completely won me over with its charm and engaging storyline.

The romance between the characters is simply adorable, and the plot is both entertaining and filled with surprises. I particularly enjoyed the mix-up element, which was executed flawlessly and kept me eagerly turning pages to see how it would all unfold. However, just when I thought I had it all figured out, a twist near the end caught me off guard. While I'm still processing my feelings about it, I'm ultimately pleased that the story concluded on a happy note.

Overall, this book is a delightful blend of romance, humor, and unexpected twists that will keep you thoroughly entertained from beginning to end. Whether you're a die-hard fan of K-dramas or simply looking for a fun and engaging read, I highly recommend giving this book a try.

This was a cute, easy read. I really enjoyed Jessica and Elijah as characters, and I liked the switched lives plot.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for my digital ARC

I really enjoyed this.
From the confusion in the beginning of them having the same name and constantly bumping into each other, to them becoming their own people despite what their parents had originally wanted and no matter how they feel.
I also fan-girled a little at the mention of BTS.
Thank you NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this book.

This was fine. I’m a fan of books written in that “after high school” time period. I wanted more out of the romance, as the plot with them as friends was more believable than anything else. I received an advance review copy for free via Netgalley and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

This one took me a while to get into but once I was further into the story I really enjoyed it! The characters were likable and it the pacing after the first portion kept me entertained.