This was a fun read that you knew from the very beginning this may not end well. The author did a great job at giving a good ending though. I was here for it because teens will do the craziest things and especially when forced to live a life they are not sure they want to live. A summer of freedom from those restraints seems very enticing. That is why this is a great read for young people to see how it might feel in the moment but also the very real consequences that might play out.

I really enjoyed this YA summer romance between two Korean and Korean American teens with the same name who find themselves in a mistaken identity situation and agree to swap places for a summer-long internship position in NYC.

Perfect for fans of Jenny Han and Jennifer Yen, this was a delightful opposites attract romance full of heart. Great on audio too! I can't wait to read more from this best-selling author! Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy in exchange for my honest review!!

This was an adorable book and made me feel like I was watching a K-drama which is always a good thing. I enjoyed the characters and seeing their struggles and accomplishments throughout the book. It was all very believable and fun to read.

This sophomore novel from Lee is a fun, fresh and fast-paced YA RomCom based on mistaken identity and lightly touches on familial expectations, and the differences in class rank and social standing!

The whole time I was reading this book it reminded me of a POC M/F version 90s Mary-Kate and Ashley film or The Parent Trap (à la Lindsay Lohan). It was fun getting to see through the characters eyes how their lives could/would be different if certain aspects of their lives were changed!

All and all, it was a really cute YA book that had depth and larger messages under the surface! Also it was very informational for me, someone who has not explored a lot of Korean literature or tv show or movie content!!!

4.00⭐️

Special thanks to @netgalley and @inkyardpress for the opportunity to read and review this book for its publication day!

Susan’s latest book is all about finding your way in the world (with some great friends supporting you along the way). I loved seeing Jessica and Elijah’s relationship develop and how they slowly came to trust and rely on each other — even when their whole “same name, mistaken identity, let’s switch roles” summer adventure could blow up in their faces at any moment.

The story definitely tightened up in the second half, and I felt more invested in the characters'/their romance. The beginning started off a little shaky, possibly because I had a hard time suspending belief that the airport staff wouldn't notice the major differences between the main characters, despite them having the same Korean name.

However, I had a lot of fun reading THE NAME DROP and can’t wait to see Susan’s next stories!

The classic case of mistaken identity makes an adorable appearance in this book. Jessica and Elijah have the same Korean name, and end up getting their planes, and lodging, and internships mixed up. The way they reason it all away before figuring it out and deciding to roll with it (Operation Name Drop) is hilarious. Their adventures in New York are adorable, and they go through so much great character development in the process. It's super cute, and calls attention to discrimination and toxic office environments, what's not to love?

LOVE IT!! IF YOU LOVE SEOUL MATES PLEASE READ THE NAME DROP! I WILL READ ANYTHING THAT SUSAN LEE WRITES!!

This was a cute story and I really enjoyed the premise. I loved the beginning with the introduction to the characters, Jessica and Elijah. I thought that the Name Drop was really interesting and was a great hook to the story. Unfortunately, I didn't really feel like the characters grew a lot as the story progressed. I believe that they both benefited from the experience but neither character showed a lot of personal growth at the end. I wish that over the course of the summer we got to see both Elijah and Jessica mature and discuss things like work ethic, race, and money. I think there was an opportunity missed by the author to have these characters discuss these topics and see the real fallout of their actions since it was glossed over with a time jump.

A cute story about mistaken identity. When Jessica and Elijah both begin their internships in New York they realize very quickly that they are not where they are supposed to be. Due to having the same Korean name they decide that this switch is harmless and that being in the other person's shoes could be fun for the summer. but keeping up with the switch may prove harder than they expected.

Overall, this was a cute book. We enjoyed the friendship and eventual romance between Jessica and Elijah. However, there were a lot of moments for discrepancies within this book. It seemed as if the characters of this book should have figured out about the switching a lot easier than they did. If I was Elijah's dad, I would be firing all of my security. It just did make sense. This is a book that if you don't read too much into is a lot of fun. Seeing the characters be a fish out of water in their respective environments was enjoyable.

I wish that we spent more time with the characters at the event they had been planning through a good majority of the book as it could have been a good moment to really have the characters deal with some good conflict and conflict resolution.

Understanding that this book is a work of fiction not everything has to make sense, but it just felt that a lot of major details were overlooked and pushed aside for the sake of trying to move a plot along that also didn't seem very plausible.

This book was everything I would have hoped from Susan lee. It is a YA book in both content and age of the characters. It is a love letter to New York City and puts you right in the mind of two young people trying to find out who they are separate from their family ties. It was fun, relatable and had the HEA. I would recommend it to anyone and its a perfect addition to 23in23 trying to get more BIPOC authors out there where they deserve to be.

SUSAN LEE THIS IS SO GOOD OMG! I love the diverse books I am getting to read on here! This book was suggested to me by my K-Pop and K-drama-loving coworker. It was really good and kept me absolutely hooked. I enjoyed every second.

Thanks to NetGalley and Inkyard Press for an advanced copy!

Jessica has worked her whole life to stand out. And with this opportunity to be a summer intern at Haneul Corporation in New York City, she's hoping to finally prove herself. Elijah, son of the CEO of Haneul Corp, has never wanted to follow in his father's footsteps. As he continues to rebel and cause trouble, his father sends him off to be an intern for his company during the summer to discipline Elijah. Jessica and Elijah's paths collide, they grow closer to each other, and it lead to a unexpected experience in New York.

This was an entertaining read! Jessica and Elijah were fun characters to root for. I also liked learning a little bit more about Korean culture through them. The book does a good job showing all the social problems and misogyny that still exist in the world today. Overall, it was a great read!

I so wanted to love the book. The characters were cute at times and their relationship had its adorable moments. The MMC seems so out of touch that it was almost painful at times and not cute. they are so far apart I would look forward to reading this again to see if my opinion changes.

This story was so much fun! I feel like mixed up identity can very rarely come off as believable. But Susan Lee did a fantastic job. Despite them being different genders, they have the same Korean name. One is the son of the mega rich CEO, the other the daughter of a lower middle class employee of said CEO. When things go all wonky at the beginning (which is hysterically believable!) Elijah has his eyes opened to how sheltered he is and how he knows nothing of the real world. Jessica is certain there has been a huge mistake! When they meet up and discover the truth, Elijah wants to roll with it. Jessica reluctantly does so. What ensues is sweet and encouraging. They work together to pull together a fantastic event and wow everyone. Including the Uber strick CEO father.

I really enjoyed this story! It was so sweet and a lot of fun to get lost in this story! It is well done and a delight to jump into!

CW: There are several F words and other swears. So it is more 4.5 stars for that.

I loved this book! It was so fun to read. I really liked that this book was different than your typical meet cutes. It was so relatable to read about Jessica being in an internship and having a very surreal meet cute. I'm going to miss these two! Definitely add it to your tbr!

Overview:
👩🏻🧑🏻 Korean characters
💼 Summer internship
🪪 Mistaken identity
💞 Summer fling
🏙️ New York City setting

Synopsis: Elijah Ri is the heir to Hanuel Corporation, so his dad ships him to NYC for a summer executives internship. Jessica Lee sets off for New York for the summer to intern at Hanuel Corporation with high hopes of receiving a letter of recommendation by the end of the summer and wants more than anything to make her dad proud. Both Elijah and Jessica have the same Korean name and are forced to meet in New York to untangle the mess made of traveling and getting their housing mixed up for the summer. Elijah sees an opportunity for him to explore what he really wants to do with his life if he stays in Jessica’s place, and Jessica sees a once in a lifetime opportunity to train as an executive if she stays in Elijah’s place. Two teenagers from different worlds switch spots for an unforgettable summer of self-discovery and a chance at love.

⭐️⭐️⭐️ 3/ 5 There were definitely aspects of this book that I liked, but overall it fell a little flat for me. I enjoyed Elijah’s POV more than Jessica’s for his edginess and the humor in his narration. The book highlighted the gender inequities in the workplace as well as in Asian culture, and it’s definitely something I love to see addressed in YA novels. I really liked the premise of them switching places for the summer and then working together. I had a hard time with some mature content being written in what I felt was surface-level writing. I couldn’t imagine Jessica being as headstrong and I think she was supposed to be, and I wish she was more developed as a character.

this one had a fun and promising premise (mistaken identity that leads to discussions of privilege) and I think it executed that element well, but it lost me when it came to the romance. i’ve found that a lot of books I’ve read recently rely on the tropes alone to create the chemistry, and it hasn’t been satisfying to me.

thank you to NetGalley and Inkyard Press for this arc in exchange for an honest review!

Told in dual points of view, this was a fun twist on a classic mistaken identity trope. From very different backgrounds, and with very different parental expectations, Elijah and Jessica both get an eye-opening summer experience. I like that they both show growth during their summer internship and even after things come crashing down—as they inevitably must.

The supporting cast of characters is also interesting and well-rounded. They serve as more than just set dressing.

Particularly interesting is the struggle to be female in a company in which a strong cultural preference for male hierarchy is present. Battling the slights—intentional or not—becomes an important secondary plot point. As does the rather superior attitude the corporate types take toward the interns and their value to the company.

While the budding relationship between Elijah and Jessica is an important factor in the story, I found it refreshing that it wasn’t the be-all and end-all of the story. I like the misunderstandings that occur—and must be resolved—as they explore their very different lifestyles and backgrounds.

Overall, the resolution is satisfying. You can’t help but root for these people.

Possible Objectionable Material:
Sexism, some racism and classism. Deception. Cursing, including a couple of F-bombs. Kissing.

Who Might Like This Book:
If you like mistaken identities, this is a fun one. I think the publisher’s suggested age range is good. Their grade level might be referring to reading level; otherwise it’s a bit low.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing an advanced reader copy in exchange for my opinion.

This book is also reviewed at https://biblioquacious.blogspot.com/2023/09/an-assortment-of-new-releases.html

Susan Lee has now become one of my favorite authors. Her characters stick with you and have such unique voices and stories. The fact that Jessica took so long to figure out there was mistaken identity was kind of ridiculous but at the same time funny. Seeing the different worlds within NYC was a lot of fun. It is the melting pot of the country. I would definitely recommend this book and anything else by Susan Lee.

3.5*

This was very cute and I did enjoy it, the missing half star is only due to a lack of resolution I felt there was between love interests.
(They have a big blow out of an argument, essentially about their places in the world and how they'll never agree on how the world works, but this just gets side stepped in classic romcom fashion. To be fair, they do actually both grow and mature during the sidestep, but a resolution still doesn't get fully explored.)

This is one of the only cases of mistaken identity and a "freaky friday" sort of swap that actually makes sense. (The author doesn't drag it on for too long, the MCs have a strategy meeting about it promptly.) Jessica and Elijah are two people trying to find their own path in life, two young adults trying to make their way into a future of their own creation, and becoming partners in crime along the way. There is a lot of drama and self discovery along the way, with a healthy dose of "these people all deserve to be slapped" entitlement from others and learning to do better from the characters we're cheering for.

Overall, if you like KDrama happenstance/drama/resolution and a Devil Loves Prada storyline/rags-to-riches-to-proud-of-yourself, this is the perfect book for you.

Notes:
This has indirect Korean influence, it's not an immersion in Korean culture, more a "Korean American in NYC" experience.
Also, the paragraph length can drag on quite a ways, so a bookmark or highlight might be needed to help break it up.