Cover Image: The Name Drop

The Name Drop

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Member Reviews

Reading Susan Lee's novel felt like immersing myself in a captivating blend of a K-drama with a dash of American flair. I was immediately drawn in by the intriguing premise.

In New York City, Elijah Ri and Jessica Lee are interns at Haneul Corporation. Elijah, expecting privilege, finds himself in a cramped apartment, while Jessica is surprised with a luxurious accommodation. Their summer is completely changed after the company they intern for mix up their roles because they share the same Korean name, As they navigate their new roles, a connection blossoms between them, but they must keep their switch a secret to protect their feelings and futures.

The romance was very cute and met all the YA criteria, however, beyond the romantic storyline, I appreciated the exploration of deeper themes such as family dynamics, workplace challenges, and the complexities of Korean culture, including discussions on sexism, racism, and elitism.

From the get-go, I found myself rooting for protagonists Jessica and Elijah, but as the story unfolded, I couldn't help but wish for more depth and development in both their characters and the plot. Overall, while it was a really sweet book, I couldn't shake the feeling that it lacked that special spark to truly grip me.

Nevertheless, Lee's writing style left me excited for more, and I'm looking forward to diving into her future works for a more heartfelt storytelling experience.

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This was a fun light YA coming of age story. I enjoyed the Korean and Korean-American character representation through all of the characters in the story.
Its always fun to read a story with characters finding them self in a new economic status similar to Pretty Women or The Parent Trap.

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This was a rather sweet story. I loved the idea of the role swapping and how the two characters embraced the changes in their lives.
I would have liked a little more romance between them, or a little more drama along the way and have them standing up for each other, but it was still a cute easy read if you don't look to deep.

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This was such a cute read!
The adorable characters, the surprises, the miscommunication, the hang outs, the friendship that slowly blossoming to something else ~~ ahh just so adorable. I haven't read an actual wholesome fluffy YA for a while (that doesn't feature kids that are portrayed way too mature for their age) . The dual POV narration was brilliantly done in my opinion, I never thought I wanted the other POV more than the other, it was perfect. The character growth of both Jessica and Elijah as they journey together were evident, these are the characters I would always root for in K-dramas. I absolutely love Jessica for her quirkiness and the oversharing habit when she gets nervous *hands up* because I so relate with her when it comes to this. Her confidence in herself was also something that has grown as the book progressed. Oh and Elijah, how cute is he, the whole chaebol and poor female leads in K-drama as so overdone, yet I don't see myself (or a lot of others haha) complaining. I love this troupe and I stand by this forever. And obviously, as a romantic myself, I wouldn't mind slightly more romance and cute hand holding or a stole kiss or two hehe. What a fun, wholesome, summer read!!! 4 stars!

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A cute YA romance with a case of mistaken identity and working out who you are and your place in the world.

Well written, not too long an easy enjoyable read

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This was a solid book. A little over the top, a little predictable, but solid.
I liked Elijah. Really liked him and I wish we saw more of his POV. I really would’ve liked to have seen more of his growth, more of his thoughts on the company.
Jessica was okay. Super naive, but I guess that was the point.
I wish we would’ve seen more change in the company and with Hee-Jin. I actually thought there’d be a big come to Jesus moment with it, but I like the direction it’s gone and possibly open up the possibility of a book for her?
Still, a cute NA romance with some insight into Korean culture.

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A sweet and clean summer romance between the son of a Korean corporation's CEO and a Korean-American summer intern who decide to switch places. Is it fun? Yes, absolutely. Was it for me? Not this time, I just didn't feel invested in the drama of the job switch, or the romance.

Read if you enjoy shows like Selfie, the Parent Trap, She's the Man or my personal favourite, Dating the Enemy (1996).

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Thanks NetGalley and Harlequin for approving this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

The Name Drop is such a cute romcom! It has a kdrama feel to it (your classic chaebol learns to be empathetic, by falling in love with a poor girl - jk), and is a whole lot of fun!

I highly recommend checking it out when it’s released, because you’ll be in for a swoon-worthy read!

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