THE TOLL By Neal Shusterman

September 8, 2023 by Leave a Comment

I received this book for free from Reviewer Purchase in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

THE TOLL By Neal ShustermanThe Toll by Neal Shusterman
Series: Arc of a Scythe #3
Published by Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers on 11/5/19
Genres: Dystopian, Fantasy & Magic, Science Fiction, Young Adult
Pages: 637
Format: Ebook
Source: Reviewer Purchase
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Citra and Rowan have disappeared. Endura is gone. It seems like nothing stands between Scythe Goddard and absolute dominion over the world scythedom. With the silence of the Thunderhead and the reverberations of the Great Resonance still shaking the earth to its core, the question remains: Is there anyone left who can stop him?

The answer lies in the Tone, the Toll, and the Thunder.

Short and Sweet Review

It has been three years since Endura sank taking most of the scythes and Citra and Rowan with it, now Scythe Goddard is in charge and he won’t let anyone forget it. The only way people are surviving is by adapting and trying to avoid getting in the way. The only hope they have is that the thunderhead is still talking to Greyson and maybe a few people come back from the dead.

This book has a different tone than the previous two and I attribute that to our past narrators of Rowan and Citra being gone. We follow Greyson and see him become the toll a figure that can talk to the Thunderhead and relay messages, scythe Faraday is on an island trying to figure out the message past scythes left, and we see scythe Goddard and his reign of terror. This book reminded me of Avengers Endgame, with Goddard being Thanos and everyone else is an Avenger trying to figure out how to get things back to normal and get their friends back. Although it was a bit weird for me to read from the other perspectives and not see Citra and Rowan for a while I’ve come to appreciate it because we really get to see how desolate things have become in the three years since Endura has sank. I did like seeing the return of Citra and Rowan it was like they were ready to finish what they started and that meant taking Goddard down. I also enjoyed Greyson and Faradays plot lines and following them for a majority of the book. The ending was different than what I was expecting but it was still good.

Overall, this was a satisfying end to this series and I’m excited to read Gleanings and see what more this world has to offer!

Filed Under: Reviews

THE CHANGING MAN By Tomi Oyemakinde

September 6, 2023 by Leave a Comment

I received this book for free from Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

THE CHANGING MAN By Tomi OyemakindeThe Changing Man by Tomi Oyemakinde
Published by Feiwel & Friends on 9/26/23
Genres: Horror & Ghost Stories, Mystery & Detective, Thrillers, Young Adult
Pages: 384
Format: eARC
Source: Publisher
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Face front. Watch your back. BE BRAVE.

If it was left to her, Ife Adebola wouldn’t be starting at Nithercott School. Because despite her being in the Urban Achievers scholarship program, her parents can barely afford the tuition. No matter who is trying to be friends with her, like her classmate Bijal, or how much the prestigious boarding school tries to pull her in, Ife is determined not to get caught up in any of it.

But when another student, Malika, begins acting strange, Ife can’t help but wonder if there’s more going on at Nithercott than she realizes. Could there be any truth to the school’s decades-old legend of the Changing
Man? Is there any connection to the missing older brother of her classmate, Ben?

As more questions arise, Ife has no choice but to team up with Ben and Bijal to investigate. But can the trio act quickly enough to uncover who is behind everything, before one—or all—of them is the Changing Man’s next victim?

Short and Sweet Review

Ife is attending Nithercott school, but if she had the choice she wouldn’t be. Her family can barely afford the tuition and Ife doesn’t want anything to do with the other students or the school itself. The school has a legend called the changing man which Ife just considers a story that every school has, but when her friend Malika starts behaving differently she knows something is wrong. Ife teams up with Bijal who seems to know everything about the school, and Ben whose brother has recently gone missing. The more the trio dig the more they realize they’re in over their heads.

This book was not what I was expecting, I’m still not sure if that’s a good thing or a bad thing. When I heard the school has a legend called the changing man I thought it would be something supernatural but I was way off on that account. Our main character Ife goes to this fancy school and everyone knows she’s on scholarship so she’s treated differently but she doesn’t care because she doesn’t want to be at the school or even liked by the other kids. Another student, Ben, his older brother goes missing and he believes it was the changing man but Ife doesn’t, not until her friend Malika goes missing and comes back a totally different person. Ife and Ben team up and eventually invite Bijal the know it all to help them. I will say Ife was a hard character to like, I think she didn’t want to get attached but the way she would push people away and the way she talked to Bijal who is one of the sweetest people was off-putting. One of the characters told Ife that she was selfish and only cared about herself and not anyone else involved and I agree, she needed to hear about how awfully she was treating people. I did like Bijal she knew a lot about the school she was like Velma from Scooby-Doo very logical and full of great ideas. I’m not sure what to make of Ben, I think he was light hearted and that was his way of dealing with his brother going missing. I did like how these three would sneak around campus at night and follow clues which would lead them closer to finding out what’s happening to the students. I will say the end result was a bit out of nowhere and not what I thought would happen. If I could describe what really happened I would say its a bit like the X Files.

Overall, this was an okay book. The plot sounded interesting but in the end I felt a bit let down because I was wanting something different. Ife was a character I found hard to connect with and I thought Ben and Bijal were better even thought they were secondary characters. Again, I was excited to read this especially after reading the synopsis but this just didn’t deliver.

Filed Under: Reviews

CHAMPION OF FATE By Kendare Blake

September 4, 2023 by Leave a Comment

I received this book for free from Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

CHAMPION OF FATE By Kendare BlakeChampion of Fate by Kendare Blake
Series: Heromaker #1
Published by Quill Tree Books on 9/19/23
Genres: Fantasy & Magic, Romance, Young Adult
Pages: 473
Format: eARC
Source: Publisher
Buy on Amazon

Aristene are an order of mythical female warriors. Though heroes might be immortalized in legends, it’s the Aristene who guide their paths to victory. They are the Heromakers.

Raised by the order after being orphaned, Reed grew up surrounded by her future sisters-in-arms and the incredible stories of their quests. She’s been counting the days until her initiation, and now one final test stands in her way: shepherding her first hero to glory on the battlefield. Succeed, and her place in the order is secured. Fail, and she’ll be cast out of the only home she’s ever known.

But Reed didn’t count on Hestion, her assigned hero, being both infuriating and intriguing. When their strategic alliance turns into something more, it forces Reed to question the cost of becoming an Aristene. As battle looms and fate hangs in the balance, Reed must make an impossible choice: her hero or her order.

Short and Sweet Review

The Aristene are legendary female warriors who are the ones who guide every hero to their path to victory. Reed was orphaned at a young age and was raised by the Aristene and now its time for her to go on to her final test, guiding a hero to their path to victory on the battle field, if she succeeds she’s earned her place as an Aristene and if she fails she’ll be cast out. Reed’s hero is a prince named Hestion, he honestly has no desire to be a hero and that makes him infuriating to Reed but also she’s interested in him. Being around Hestion makes Reed wonder if she really wants to be an Aristene.

Champion of Fate is an amazing fantasy book! We follow Reed who is an initiate for the legendary Aristene, who took her in when her village was slaughtered. Reeds mentor and mother figure is a woman named Aster who happens to have a high ranking. I loved the relationship between the two of them, Aster had a tough love approach but Reed always knew she could count on her. For Reed’s test she has to help Hestion a prince becomes a hero and lead him on a path to glory, but upon meeting him she learns that Hestion really wants to be in the background and he’s okay with his brother Belden being the one to take the credit. We see Reed and Hestion spend a lot of time together and get to know one another and they end up developing feelings for each other, which is easier for Hestion than it is for Reed. Reed knows once the war is finished she can’t stay with Hestion and she’ll have to move on. I did like the dynamic between these two and how for a while Hestion had Reed questioning if she really did want to become an Aristene or maybe stick around and leave that life behind. We follow these characters as they go into war which was pretty cool to see how amazing Reed and her friend Lyonene were at fighting. We also learn something about Reed that ends up changing everything. I loved Reeds character, she was strong and thoughtful, but also she cares a lot for the people she loves, she also has a horse that has a big personality. I also thought it was pretty cool to see one of the queens from the Three Dark Crowns series make an appearance.

The ending was not what I was expecting but in a good way and now all I want is the sequel in my hands. The writing is amazing and it will have you hooked from page one. I think of Reed being the Phil to someones Hercules. Champion of Fate is a fantasy book that will have you blown away and leave you wanting more!

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THE FEAR By Natasha Preston

September 1, 2023 by Leave a Comment

I received this book for free from Reviewer Purchase in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

THE FEAR By Natasha PrestonThe Fear by Natasha Preston
Published by Delacorte Press on 3/1/22
Genres: Mystery & Detective, Thrillers, Young Adult
Pages: 346
Format: Ebook
Source: Reviewer Purchase
Buy on Amazon

It’s just a stupid meme that’s going around their small fishing town in the dead of winter—people reposting and sharing their biggest fear. But when her classmates start turning up dead—dying in the way that they said scared them the most—Izzy knows it’s no joke.

With each death hitting closer to home, Izzy sets out to try to stop the killer. Could her older sister’s friend Tristan have something to do with the deaths? He’s given her some strange vibes. Or what about his brooding cousin, Axel? But he’s in her classes at school. He’s not a murderer . . . is he? Izzie’s soon on a path that will lead her right to the killer . . . and her own worst nightmare.

Short and Sweet Review

There’s a meme going around asking about peoples biggest fears and the teens in Izzy’s town are reposting it thinking it’s a harmless thing. When Izzy finds one of her classmates dead she realizes that its more than just a game and there’s a killer out there.

This book has a pretty cool plot but the execution is bad. We have our main character Izzy who didn’t share the meme and she’s the one who finds the first victim, and because of this she thinks she’s qualified to investigate. I found Izzy to be the most insufferable character, she was just annoying and she wouldn’t listen to people to leave things alone and stay in her lane. Izzy would go around thinking she knew who it was and just going around pining murders on everyone is not a strategy. Even though Izzy didn’t share the meme and reveal her fear she ends up becoming someone the culprit wants, because she doesn’t know how to leave things alone and she kept interfering with things she shouldn’t have been. She kept messing with one of her classmates, Axel, accusing him of the murders and then she would get upset because he wanted to keep his distance from her. Izzy was just a hot mess, I get why she would want to figure things out but honestly she was better off keeping her distance. I figured out who the culprit was and it was intersting because we got to see their POV for a few chapters. I will say I didn’t like the ending it felt abrupt and I think that happens with a lot of Prestons books.

Overall, this book was not for me. There’s just something about Natasha Preston books that I don’t jive with, I keep reading them because the synopsis sounds great but them when I start reading the execution is just off and the book falls flat and unfortunately that’s what happened here.

Filed Under: Reviews

A STUDY IN DROWNING By Ava Reid

August 30, 2023 by Leave a Comment

I received this book for free from Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

A STUDY IN DROWNING By Ava ReidA Study in Drowning by Ava Reid
Published by HarperTeen on 9/19/23
Genres: Fantasy & Magic, Gothic, Mystery & Detective, Romance, Young Adult
Pages: 384
Format: eARC
Source: Publisher
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Effy Sayre has always believed in fairy tales. Haunted by visions of the Fairy King since childhood, she’s had no choice. Her tattered copy of Angharad—Emrys Myrddin’s epic about a mortal girl who falls in love with the Fairy King, then destroys him—is the only thing keeping her afloat. So when Myrddin’s family announces a contest to redesign the late author’s estate, Effy feels certain it’s her destiny.

But musty, decrepit Hiraeth Manor is an impossible task, and its residents are far from welcoming. Including Preston Héloury, a stodgy young literature scholar determined to expose Myrddin as a fraud. As the two rivals piece together clues about Myrddin’s legacy, dark forces, both mortal and magical, conspire against them—and the truth may bring them both to ruin.

Short and Sweet Review

Effy Sayre has always believed in fairy tales, and since she was a young girl she has been haunted by the Fairy King. Her favorite author Emrys Myrddin wrote a book about a mortal falling in love with the fairy king and it just happens to be one of Effy’s favorite books. When Myrddin’s estate puts out a concert to redesign the late authors estates Iffy jumps at the chance. When she gets to Hiraeth Manor, Effy learns that her task is nearly impossible, the house is built near the sea and its close to falling in. She also meets another university student from the Literature college who is planning on exposing Myrddin as a hack but to do that he needs Effy’s help. There’s a lot of forces coming together to stop Effy and Preston, and they have to keep their wits about them to survive.

A Study in Drowning, is a scholarly mystery combined with dark fantasy elements. Effy is a student at the Architecture college and unfortunately she’s the only girl in that college and there’s some rumors or maybe truth to her being with a teacher. Effy is often looked down on because of her gender, so when she’s picked for the contest she’s ready to go and prove herself. Iffy meets Preston the other college student and finds him insufferable but they’re just two very different people who believe in different things which is why I did like this romance, because they took the time to understand each other and see things from the others point of view. Our setting is a decrepit manor on a cliff near a sea and even the writing makes you understand how dark and dreary this place really is. When Preston asks for Effy’s help, we see them both put their selves at risk to discover the truth. Ianto is Emrys’s son and there’s definitely something off with him, we see glimpses of the Fairy king in him. I could never tell whether or not to trust what Effy was seeing. Effy is one of those characters you end up falling in love with, she’s lived a life where a lot of people put her down and don’t always believe her so I’m glad in this book we see Preston coming around and having her back.

This book was an interesting combination of mystery and fantasy and I liked the characters and their determination to uncover the truth. I enjoyed this book and everything it had to offer.

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THE ONLY GIRL IN TOWN By Ally Condie

August 28, 2023 by Leave a Comment

I received this book for free from Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

THE ONLY GIRL IN TOWN By Ally CondieThe Only Girl in Town by Ally Condie
Published by Dutton Books for Young Readers on 9/19/23
Genres: Contemporary, Mystery & Detective, Thrillers, Young Adult
Pages: 336
Format: eARC
Source: Publisher
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For July Fielding, nothing has been the same since that summer before senior year.

Once, she had Alex to be her loyal best friend, the one who always had her back. She had Sydney, who pushed her during every cross country run, and who sometimes seemed to know July better than she knew herself. And she had Sam. Sam, who told her she was everything and left her breathless with his touch.

Now, July is alone. Every single person in her small town of Lithia has disappeared. No family. No Alex or Sydney. No Sam. July’s only chance at unraveling the mystery of their disappearance is a series of objects, each a reminder of the people she loved most. And a mysterious message: GET TH3M BACK.

Short and Sweet Review

July Fielding’s life hasn’t been the same since the summer before her senior year. Now July is the only person in town, she can’t find anyone, including friends and family. Around town July finds a message saying “Get Th3m back”, July follows clues to try to get everyone she loves back.

In this book we follow July try to piece together everything and try to find out why and how everyone disappeared. We alternate from the present and the past. I will say it was kind of hard to follow when we alternated because the chapters are so short that it felt like we didn’t have enough time in one time period. We see in the past what happened during July’s summer which includes the three people who are closest to her, Alex one of her best friends, Syd also a friend and cross country teammate, and Sam a boy she likes and ends up dating. In the present we see July try to use clues that reminds her of people to try to find out what happened but those clues lead her to what happened in the past so everything was a correlation. This book had me hooked I just wanted to know why July was alone in this town. I will say that July did have depression which plays a big part in this story.

Overall, this book makes you think, especially when you get to the end. I liked following July around town trying to find traces of anyone who could still be around, and also seeing how the summer before senior year impacted what’s going on now. The book didn’t end in a way I expected but I think that’s the best thing about it and Condie was able to accomplish what she was trying to with the plot and July. The writing was great and it will have you guessing right up to the end.

Filed Under: Reviews

THOSE PINK MOUNTAIN NIGHTS By Jen Ferguson

August 25, 2023 by Leave a Comment

I received this book for free from Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

THOSE PINK MOUNTAIN NIGHTS By Jen FergusonThose Pink Mountain Nights by Jen Ferguson
Published by Heartdrum on 9/12/23
Genres: Contemporary, LGBT, Young Adult
Pages: 352
Format: eARC
Source: Publisher
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Overachievement isn’t a bad word—for Berlin, it’s the goal. She’s securing excellent grades, planning her future, and working a part-time job at Pink Mountain Pizza, a legendary local business. Who says she needs a best friend by her side?

Dropping out of high school wasn’t smart—but it was necessary for Cameron. Since his cousin Kiki’s disappearance, it’s hard enough to find the funny side of life, especially when the whole town has forgotten Kiki. To them, she’s just another missing Native girl.

People at school label Jessie a tease, a rich girl—and honestly, she’s both. But Jessie knows she contains multitudes. Maybe her new job crafting pizzas will give her the high-energy outlet she desperately wants.

Short and Sweet Review

Those Pink Mountain Nights, follows a trio of teens who work at a local pizza shop. Berlin is an overachiever, Cameron has recently dropped out of high school, but things haven’t been the same for him since his cousin Kiki went missing, and Jessie is known as the rich girl and also a tease but working at the pizza shop is the escape she needs.

In this book we get the POVs of Berlin, Cam, and Jessie, there’s a lot of subplots and layers to this book that climax and get resolved in a bigger plot to save the pizza shop. I did enjoy the characters, they’re an interesting group of teens and I like how they come together and the workers at the pizza shop are a family. Cam and Berlin have a love hate relationship which we see a lot of, and Jessie is the new comer and she truly gets to be herself at work. We see the plot line of Cam’s missing cousin and trying to save the pizza shop from being sold. There’s a lot that goes on in this book and its well written, but there are a lot of hard topics that require a trigger warning which is included at the beginning of the book so that’s a plus.

Overall, this felt like a coming of age novel and I did enjoy all of the elements that were involved. Each of the characters add something different and I liked how all of the subplots eventually came together and everything was wrapped up nicely. There’s a lot to process when reading this book and you’ll still be thinking about it after finishing it. Maybe grab a slice of pizza while reading this book!

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WHAT STALKS AMONG US By Sarah Hollowell

August 23, 2023 by Leave a Comment

I received this book for free from Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

WHAT STALKS AMONG US By Sarah HollowellWhat Stalks Among Us by Sarah Hollowell
Published by Clarion Books on 9/12/23
Genres: Horror & Ghost Stories, Thrillers, Young Adult
Pages: 400
Format: eARC
Source: Publisher
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Best friends and high school seniors Sadie and Logan make their first mistake when they ditch their end-of-year field trip to the amusement park in favor of exploring some old, forgotten backroads. The last thing they expect to come across is a giant, abandoned corn maze.

But with a whole day of playing hooking unspooling before them, they make their second mistake. Or perhaps their third? Maybe even their fourth. Because Sadie and Logan have definitely entered this maze before. And again before that.

When they stumble on the corpses in the maze, identical to them in every way (if you can ignore the stab and gunshot wounds)--from their clothes to their hidden scars to their dyed hair, to that one missing tooth--they quickly realize they’ve not only entered this maze before, they’ve died in it too. A lot. And no matter what they try, they can’t figure out what—or who—is hunting them.

Short and Sweet Review

Sadie and Logan are best friends and high school seniors, and instead of going to the end of the year field trip these two decide to stop at a corn maze. Unfortunately, this isn’t an ordinary corn maze, its almost like Sadie and Logan are trapped and the more they wander around they end up finding things like notes with warnings and even dead bodies that may or not be past versions of themselves. Sadie and Logan realize they’ve been in this maze before and have even died in it. They know something is hunting them they just don’t know what it is.

What Stalks Among Us, was different from any book I’ve read before mainly because it takes place in a corn field and its not an ordinary one. Sadie and Logan go into this corn maze thinking it’ll be quick and fun but they can’t get out. Time works differently in the maze and its like there’s different rooms in there. Sadie and Logan meet Helena and Anthony and they’ve been stuck in the maze for awhile, but we don’t know if we can trust them. While in the maze Sadie deals with some of the trauma a guy put her through and I liked that she had to deal with that because once she overcomes it, it helps her realize what to do in the maze. I did like that there wasn’t a romance element to this and that Sadie and Logan were strictly friends. There were important topics covered in this book, the importance of friendship, and confronting your demons and breaking a cycle of abuse.

This book was creepy and definitely full of twist. I love how determined the characters were to get out of the maze and figure everything out, I know if I was in that corn maze after a few attempts I would give in and become one with the corn. This would be a great book to read during the fall season, not only is it creepy but it also covers tough topics.

Filed Under: Reviews

LOVE & LUCK By Jenna Evans Welch

August 21, 2023 by Leave a Comment

I received this book for free from Reviewer Purchase in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

LOVE & LUCK By Jenna Evans WelchLove & Luck by Jenna Evans Welch
Series: Love & Gelato #2
Published by Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers on 5/8/18
Genres: Contemporary, Romance, Young Adult
Pages: 321
Format: Ebook
Source: Reviewer Purchase
Buy on Amazon

Addie is visiting Ireland for her aunt’s over-the-top destination wedding and hoping she can stop thinking about the one thing she did that left her miserable and heartbroken—and threatens her future. But her brother, Ian, isn’t about to let her forget, and his constant needling leads to arguments and even a fistfight between the two once inseparable siblings. Miserable, Addie can’t wait to visit her friend in Italy and leave her brother—and her problems—behind.

So when Addie discovers an unusual guidebook, Ireland for the Heartbroken, hidden in the dusty shelves of the hotel library, she’s able to finally escape her anxious mind and Ian’s criticism.

And then their travel plans change. Suddenly Addie finds herself on a whirlwind tour of the Emerald Isle, trapped in the world’s smallest vehicle with Ian and his admittedly cute, Irish-accented friend Rowan. As the trio journeys over breathtaking green hills, past countless castles, and through a number of fairy-tale forests, Addie hopes her guidebook will heal not only her broken heart, but also her shattered relationship with her brother.

That is if they don’t get completely lost along the way.

Short and Sweet Review

Addie and her family are in Ireland for her aunts wedding. What should be a joyous occasion is ruined by Addie and her brother Ian fighting. Addie is supposed to go to Italy to visit Lina, and Ian is coming to, but their mom warns them if they step out of line they’re going to face punishment. We learn that Addie and Ian have been arguing about something that happened back home, which is why Addie is reading a guidebook, Ireland for the Heartbroken. On the day Addie and Ian are supposed to leave for Italy she finds him getting in a car with his friend Rowan to go to a music festival instead which leads to an exploration of Ireland and trying to fix broken hearts.

I wasn’t sure about this book when I started it, mainly because the arguing and tension between Ian and Addie was too much. It was like if someone breathed the wrong way one of them would explode, we don’t really get to the bottom of what happened until the end of the book but we do learn it’s about a boy Addie was seeing. Back home Ian is a jock so Addie is shocked to find out he’s a popular blogger and music is his main topic. Ian is determined to go to landmarks that are important to music and do a few interviews and make it to the festival to see his favorite band play one more time. The thing is their mom believes they’re in Italy so they really have to be careful because how big is Ireland really? I loved Ian’s friend Rowan, he was also dealing with a bit of heartbreak which is why he was willing to go to some of the places in the guidebook. It was a roadtrip where we learned a little more about each character and I loved that. I thought it was cool that Addie knew a lot about cars and was the reason the trio got so far. I was kind of bummed that she wasn’t able to go see Lina in Italy but I also understand that this was Addie’s adventure and it needed to take place in Ireland. I do think that the end was a little rushed and I felt like it was abrupt.

Overall, I did like this book. I will say the beginning wasn’t my favorite but when things got going and we saw the different places recommend by the guidebook I was all in. This was a quick and easy read and I’m looking forward to reading the next book!

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THE NAME DROP By Susan Lee

August 18, 2023 by Leave a Comment

I received this book for free from Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

THE NAME DROP By Susan LeeThe Name Drop by Susan Lee
Published by Inkyard Press on 9/12/23
Genres: Contemporary, Romance, Young Adult
Pages: 273
Format: eARC
Source: Publisher
Buy on Amazon

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 mistake: 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?

Short and Sweet

Elijah Ri and Jessica Lee are both in New York for an internship at the Haneul Corporation. The difference is that Elijah is the son of the owner and is expected to one day be the CEO, Jessica is the daughter of an accountant for the company. Elijah is expecting to live very comfortably when he arrives in New York but he’s surprised when he’s in an apartment with 10 other interns for the summer. Jessica ends up in a nice brownstone and now she knows something is wrong. Jessica and Elijah realize that they have the same Korean name and Elijah decides it may be okay to switch places for the summer and if anyone finds out they’ll deal with it when the time comes.

The plot of this book was basically a case of mistaken identity. Jessica and Elijah are very different. She’s hard working and has to work for the things she wants and Elijah lives a life of luxury but he can never make his father happy. When these two decide to switch places we see that Elijah is dedicated to working hard and also being a team player, Jessica on the other hand is hard working but is a nervous wreck about being caught. This book feel flat for me I didn’t like the characters there wasn’t much to them. The plot wasn’t anything to rave about we see them have the same Korean name but them getting away with it at the airport and for most of the summer seemed too far fetched. The romance also felt underdeveloped and I didn’t feel sparks when reading about these two and in the end the romance was rushed.

Overall, this book was okay, it wouldn’t make it on a list of my favorites. Everything in this book let me down from the characters, plot, and romance. I believe this concept would have worked if it was executed better.

Filed Under: Reviews