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The Name Drop by Susan Lee

Genre:
Romance, Asian Literature, Contemporary, Young Adult, Netgalley, K-Drama

Publication Date:
September 12, 2023

Rating:
4.8 out of 5

Blurb:

New from the author of Seoulmates comes a story of mistaken identities, the summer of a lifetime, and a love to risk everything for.

When Elijah Ri arrives in New York City for an internship at his father’s massive tech company, Haneul Corporation, he expects the royal treatment that comes with being the future CEO—even if that’s the last thing he wants. But instead, he finds himself shuffled into a group of overworked, unpaid interns, all sharing a shoebox apartment for the summer.

When Jessica Lee arrives in New York City, she’s eager to make the most of her internship at Haneul Corporation, even if she’s at the bottom of the corporate ladder. But she’s shocked to be introduced as the new executive-in-training intern with a gorgeous brownstone all to herself.

It doesn’t take long for Elijah and Jessica to discover the source of the they share the same Korean name. But they decide to stay switched—so Elijah can have a relaxing summer away from his controlling dad while Jessica can make the connections she desperately needs for college recommendations.

As Elijah and Jessica work together to keep up the charade, a spark develops between them. Can they avoid discovery—and total disaster—with their feelings and futures on the line?

Review:

Name Drop reads like a K-drama romance comedy where the two main characters have the same name, agree to take on each other's roles in the company as well as home, and hope no one finds out. This is exactly what happens to both Jessica and Elijah. All of this starts when their shared name lands both of them on different parts of the plane - Elijah is in the economy and Jessica is in first class. Things continue on this path upon their arrival. Jessica finds herself admiring the brownstone home she arrives at and Elijah is crammed into an apartment with other interns. When Jessica finds that it is Elijah who should be in her shoes, she meets up with him. The two decide that since they have a shared name why not continue the charade? It is not like anyone will figure it out, right?

This novel really reads as if it came out of a K-Drama but with young adult themes. The characters of Elijah and Jessica are fun characters filled with trying to make it on their own even if their own parents are breathing down their necks - Elijah's father wants him to take this summer executive job so that he will be able to take over the company when his father decides to retire. Jessica, on the other - her father doesn't like the idea of her joining a company he doesn't want her to be part of it. He hates his job and he would have rather she not take it.

I like K-Dramas. They have fun characters. A rather near-soap-opera-level drama that takes forever to be concluded. This one really stays focused on its storyline and purpose rather than stray off and branch off into other little fillers before finally concluding the entire story. The characters never sway from their path and each one grows differently over the course of the novel.

I also enjoyed the dual perspectives from both Jessica and Elijah. It allowed us to see what each felt, thought, and was doing. The only grip I have against this novel was the chapters felt short. There were moments when I thought there were areas that could have been expanded just a bit, but I also can see that the author was trying not to draw the storyline out more than needed.

If you like K-Dramas, then this author is definitely up your alley. The characters are fun, the romance is sweet, and the storyline is pretty much straightforward.


*Disclaimer: Thank you to Inkyard Press and Netgalley for allowing me to read and review this book.