What do you think?
Rate this book
Flopping in a Winter Wonderland
All Aaron wants for Christmas is for his brother Casey to get over his ex, Raquel. He’d prefer not to be at Winter Wonderland, the island north of Alaska that’s home to a year-round Christmas theme park. But Casey loves Christmas, and so, here they are.
All Kris wants for Christmas is for his uncle to move back to Winter Wonderland to be the first gay Santa. And so, he needs to win the Race, his grade’s annual competition to see who can get a guest to fall in love with them first. Winning means a trip to New York, where Kris would be able to plead his case for his uncle to the founder of Winter Wonderland himself.
Then Aaron and Kris flop into each other during a flash mob and Kris agrees to help Aaron with his plan to keep Casey single. Soon, both can’t stop thinking about kissing the other, and it’s not just because of the mistletoe around every corner. Too bad true love isn’t on either of their Christmas lists…
This adorable rom-com from bestselling author Jason June unwraps the healing power of love and the magic of the Christmas season.
All Kris wants for Christmas is for his uncle to move back to Winter Wonderland to be the first gay Santa. And so, he needs to win the Race, his grade’s annual competition to see who can get a guest to fall in love with them first. Winning means a trip to New York, where Kris would be able to plead his case for his uncle to the founder of Winter Wonderland himself.
Then Aaron and Kris flop into each other during a flash mob and Kris agrees to help Aaron with his plan to keep Casey single. Soon, both can’t stop thinking about kissing the other, and it’s not just because of the mistletoe around every corner. Too bad true love isn’t on either of their Christmas lists…
This adorable rom-com from bestselling author Jason June unwraps the healing power of love and the magic of the Christmas season.
368 pages, Hardcover
First published November 1, 2024
62 people are currently reading
8346 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 196 reviews
dnf
November 29, 2024Nothing wrong with it, I'm just not feeling it. DNF - 27%
-------------------------------------------
And to think I said enough with the holiday books... the joke's on me
-------------------------------------------
And to think I said enough with the holiday books... the joke's on me
November 22, 2024
✰ 3 stars ✰
“There’s got to be a guy out there, somewhere, who will love me.”
Look at me getting into the holiday spirit! 🎄 Okay, clearly this was not quite the festive cheer that I was looking for; but with a title like Flopping in a Winter Wonderland it does sound foreboding. And well, when you have to celebrate Christmas year-round when you're frustrated enough that you want change, while also having to still satisfy customers, who might just be doing everything in their power to dampen the Christmas cheer for another - then that definitely does speak of problems & misfortunes galore. So, perhaps I should have been a bit more mentally prepared. 😶🌫️
And for some it definitely does spell heartwarming. Heartwarming in how seventeen-year-old Aaron Merry, who after his mother left the family to pursue her own ambitious dreams has taken it upon himself to fulfill the gap she left behind, arrives at Winter Wonderland with his father and older brother, Casey, in the hopes that it might alleviate his brother's heartbreak from a recent breakup. What he was not expecting was for said brother's ex-girlfriend also to be at the same Winter Wonderland with her new boyfriend. 🤨
“I’d say starting a relationship this way—by destroying someone’s dreams— is all kinds of toxic...”
It's a struggle for someone who has sworn off love entirely, seeing how when you do 'you lose your entire sense of self', he definitely was not prepared to fall smitten for one of the theme park's resident employees, Kris Bright - one whose own lifelong dream is to make the park a lot more welcoming in queer representation. 🥺 One that even as Aaron's family arrives as special winners who 'actually get to celebrate Christmas on Christmas Day at the world’s premier Christmas theme park' it becomes more than just winning the coveted secretive Race '—where whoever gets told they’re loved first wins a trip to the mainland.'
So, where it flopped for me was how chaotic it became. How in Aaron's attempts to misguide Casey, it inadvertently set up a recipe for a disaster with his own relationship with Kris, despite how easily they were both falling for each other. The set-up already promised miscommunication and misguided intentions, so I knew that there was going to be an eventual fall-out, regardless of how heartwarming and charming the cheery atmosphere was. Perhaps because I knew it was all going to blow up in their faces eventually, it was hard to stay entirely focused and invested in those scenes. 😕
“If you truly have feelings for someone, you should always tell them.”
That really is not any fault to the story, because it had its sweet moments - very kissing-positive, which is something you rarely find in YA reads. I liked how even though in the back of his mind, Kris knew that this couldn't last, that Aaron would return to the mainland and it would have just been a holiday fling, he was slowly starting to fall for high-strung, thinks of everything' Aaron's delightful charm and helpful nature. 🥰
And even more so at how smitten Aaron was with Kris - 'a contradiction: soft and sweet, yet firm and strong', he drew him out of his robotic stance and gave him the chance to liven up a little. Even if it was just to assist him in sabotaging his brother's own attempts to rekindle a mistaken romance, it meant something special to him. 😊 I kinda chuckled at how brazenly confident Kris was in his kissing skills, but Aaron wasn't complaining, so no complaints warranted me from me either. The gift exchange was also really heartwarming and sincere, and I knew then that the blow-out would be painful. 😬
“But that’s the thing. What can be set in stone about a tradition that’s built on make-believe anyway?”
The author did a great job in capturing Christmas in this little wonder of a place - snowball fights, Santa sleds, and Christmas carols - it had the works. 👍🏻🧑🎄 True, as Aaron points out it does take out the specialty of it by being stuck in a rut of celebrating it all-year, but the sparkles and marvels of the joy is what counts. It had all the festive delights, holiday excitement and Merry & Bright to top it all of, doing their best to stay as Merry and Bright. My lame attempt at a pun. 😄 But, it's also a very firm nod at allowing all to feel and believe in the Christmas magic - for it to be a safe and welcoming celebration of traditions for everyone. 🫶🏻
Despite the predictability of the plot, I do have to give props at how JJ had this very specific situation pave the way for other important points to be addressed. From Kris fighting for equal representation to make it a more friendly diverse community for all, to Casey finally shedding the parts of himself that prevented him from making healthy decisions, to giving Aaron the chance to speak his mind. 🙂↕️ It made the parts that I normally avoid because it irks me worth its while. So often these points get rarely addressed or brushed over and from the moment his relationship with his mother was mentioned, I was put-off by it.
The way it was addressed, if not sadly not fully expanded on was tantamount to Aaron truly letting go. And it was the piece de resistance that I was waiting for and truly cheered for. 👊🏻 It felt cathartic, therapeutic, heck, even well-deserving, even if quite belated so. For it was by falling in love and losing his sense of self to Kris' whims and charms that made Aaron and Kris both respectively find their true selves and what real love looks like. Aaron who refused to believe in romantic love, and Kris who never really felt it for real - I think what they both discovered and learned about themselves is the most honest part of their dishonest shortcomings that made their eventual end all the more convincing of feeling organic and sincere. 🤍
“There’s got to be a guy out there, somewhere, who will love me.”
Look at me getting into the holiday spirit! 🎄 Okay, clearly this was not quite the festive cheer that I was looking for; but with a title like Flopping in a Winter Wonderland it does sound foreboding. And well, when you have to celebrate Christmas year-round when you're frustrated enough that you want change, while also having to still satisfy customers, who might just be doing everything in their power to dampen the Christmas cheer for another - then that definitely does speak of problems & misfortunes galore. So, perhaps I should have been a bit more mentally prepared. 😶🌫️
And for some it definitely does spell heartwarming. Heartwarming in how seventeen-year-old Aaron Merry, who after his mother left the family to pursue her own ambitious dreams has taken it upon himself to fulfill the gap she left behind, arrives at Winter Wonderland with his father and older brother, Casey, in the hopes that it might alleviate his brother's heartbreak from a recent breakup. What he was not expecting was for said brother's ex-girlfriend also to be at the same Winter Wonderland with her new boyfriend. 🤨
“I’d say starting a relationship this way—by destroying someone’s dreams— is all kinds of toxic...”
It's a struggle for someone who has sworn off love entirely, seeing how when you do 'you lose your entire sense of self', he definitely was not prepared to fall smitten for one of the theme park's resident employees, Kris Bright - one whose own lifelong dream is to make the park a lot more welcoming in queer representation. 🥺 One that even as Aaron's family arrives as special winners who 'actually get to celebrate Christmas on Christmas Day at the world’s premier Christmas theme park' it becomes more than just winning the coveted secretive Race '—where whoever gets told they’re loved first wins a trip to the mainland.'
So, where it flopped for me was how chaotic it became. How in Aaron's attempts to misguide Casey, it inadvertently set up a recipe for a disaster with his own relationship with Kris, despite how easily they were both falling for each other. The set-up already promised miscommunication and misguided intentions, so I knew that there was going to be an eventual fall-out, regardless of how heartwarming and charming the cheery atmosphere was. Perhaps because I knew it was all going to blow up in their faces eventually, it was hard to stay entirely focused and invested in those scenes. 😕
“If you truly have feelings for someone, you should always tell them.”
That really is not any fault to the story, because it had its sweet moments - very kissing-positive, which is something you rarely find in YA reads. I liked how even though in the back of his mind, Kris knew that this couldn't last, that Aaron would return to the mainland and it would have just been a holiday fling, he was slowly starting to fall for high-strung, thinks of everything' Aaron's delightful charm and helpful nature. 🥰
And even more so at how smitten Aaron was with Kris - 'a contradiction: soft and sweet, yet firm and strong', he drew him out of his robotic stance and gave him the chance to liven up a little. Even if it was just to assist him in sabotaging his brother's own attempts to rekindle a mistaken romance, it meant something special to him. 😊 I kinda chuckled at how brazenly confident Kris was in his kissing skills, but Aaron wasn't complaining, so no complaints warranted me from me either. The gift exchange was also really heartwarming and sincere, and I knew then that the blow-out would be painful. 😬
“But that’s the thing. What can be set in stone about a tradition that’s built on make-believe anyway?”
The author did a great job in capturing Christmas in this little wonder of a place - snowball fights, Santa sleds, and Christmas carols - it had the works. 👍🏻🧑🎄 True, as Aaron points out it does take out the specialty of it by being stuck in a rut of celebrating it all-year, but the sparkles and marvels of the joy is what counts. It had all the festive delights, holiday excitement and Merry & Bright to top it all of, doing their best to stay as Merry and Bright. My lame attempt at a pun. 😄 But, it's also a very firm nod at allowing all to feel and believe in the Christmas magic - for it to be a safe and welcoming celebration of traditions for everyone. 🫶🏻
Despite the predictability of the plot, I do have to give props at how JJ had this very specific situation pave the way for other important points to be addressed. From Kris fighting for equal representation to make it a more friendly diverse community for all, to Casey finally shedding the parts of himself that prevented him from making healthy decisions, to giving Aaron the chance to speak his mind. 🙂↕️ It made the parts that I normally avoid because it irks me worth its while. So often these points get rarely addressed or brushed over and from the moment his relationship with his mother was mentioned, I was put-off by it.
The way it was addressed, if not sadly not fully expanded on was tantamount to Aaron truly letting go. And it was the piece de resistance that I was waiting for and truly cheered for. 👊🏻 It felt cathartic, therapeutic, heck, even well-deserving, even if quite belated so. For it was by falling in love and losing his sense of self to Kris' whims and charms that made Aaron and Kris both respectively find their true selves and what real love looks like. Aaron who refused to believe in romantic love, and Kris who never really felt it for real - I think what they both discovered and learned about themselves is the most honest part of their dishonest shortcomings that made their eventual end all the more convincing of feeling organic and sincere. 🤍
January 3, 2025
This story is told in first person alternating points of view from Aaron and Kris. Aaron is worried about his older brother Casey whose girlfriend dumped him before he won a trip to Winter Wonderland. Aaron sets out to sabotage any efforts that Casey makes to get back together with Raquel. Kris grew up on a tiny island north of Alaska known as Winter Wonderland, where his parents found a work haven during difficult times but is upset when his uncle moves away after being told he would not make the promotion to be a Santa since he wanted to be the first out gay Santa.
I loved the family dynamics and backgrounds in this book. Brothers Casey and Aaron both had such different responses to their mother leaving them to work on a cranberry bog in Wisconsin. Casey is fascinated with Christmas and in a codependent relationship while Aaron is kind of a control freak with the impression that love makes you lose your sense of self and just trying to keep all the family parts moving. Kris just wants to win a competition that will enable him to make a personal plea to the founder of Winter Wonderland without making waves that might get his family kicked off the island, which gave off major old mining town with a company store vibes.
While I did enjoy some of the fallout from their holiday activities and shenanigans, especially the reindeer stampede and the leadup to the snowman competition, there were aspects of the story that I found a bit distasteful. Casey was so sweet and Aaron’s plans of sabotage came across as more cruel than a simple conversation might have been, and the whole contest on the island for the first worker to get a guest to say “I love you” reminded me a bit of the SVU episode where the frat boys kept score of their conquests behind a painting. You could see the third act breakup coming right from the beginning.
Thank you to Netgalley and HarperCollins for a copy provided for an honest review.
I loved the family dynamics and backgrounds in this book. Brothers Casey and Aaron both had such different responses to their mother leaving them to work on a cranberry bog in Wisconsin. Casey is fascinated with Christmas and in a codependent relationship while Aaron is kind of a control freak with the impression that love makes you lose your sense of self and just trying to keep all the family parts moving. Kris just wants to win a competition that will enable him to make a personal plea to the founder of Winter Wonderland without making waves that might get his family kicked off the island, which gave off major old mining town with a company store vibes.
While I did enjoy some of the fallout from their holiday activities and shenanigans, especially the reindeer stampede and the leadup to the snowman competition, there were aspects of the story that I found a bit distasteful. Casey was so sweet and Aaron’s plans of sabotage came across as more cruel than a simple conversation might have been, and the whole contest on the island for the first worker to get a guest to say “I love you” reminded me a bit of the SVU episode where the frat boys kept score of their conquests behind a painting. You could see the third act breakup coming right from the beginning.
Thank you to Netgalley and HarperCollins for a copy provided for an honest review.
November 13, 2024
A YA+ holiday romance full of first love & all things Christmas!
❄️
Meet Aaron: his normally happy-go-lucky, Christmas-obsessed brother gets dumped right before the holidays so Aaron decides to help him get over her at Winter Wonderland, an island off the coast of Alaska that celebrates Christmas all year round.
Meet Kris: he wants so badly for the uncle he looks up to to come back to the island so he can be Winter Wonderland’s first gay Santa. In order to do that Kris must win his grade’s Race: the annual competition to be the first to get a guest to fall in love with them. This will win Kris a trip to NYC to try and convince Winter Wonderland’s owner to allow his uncle to be Santa. But when both boys flop into one another’s arms, all rules and games and schemes go out the window as they start to fall for one another.
⛸️
Just adorable. I saved this review so I could post it on release day, but I also wanted to hear the audiobook too when it came out this morning. Jason is one of my favorite narrators and it was a joy to moderate his panel at TLA on audiobooks. Grab this one for your high school library today!
CW: cheating
❄️
Meet Aaron: his normally happy-go-lucky, Christmas-obsessed brother gets dumped right before the holidays so Aaron decides to help him get over her at Winter Wonderland, an island off the coast of Alaska that celebrates Christmas all year round.
Meet Kris: he wants so badly for the uncle he looks up to to come back to the island so he can be Winter Wonderland’s first gay Santa. In order to do that Kris must win his grade’s Race: the annual competition to be the first to get a guest to fall in love with them. This will win Kris a trip to NYC to try and convince Winter Wonderland’s owner to allow his uncle to be Santa. But when both boys flop into one another’s arms, all rules and games and schemes go out the window as they start to fall for one another.
⛸️
Just adorable. I saved this review so I could post it on release day, but I also wanted to hear the audiobook too when it came out this morning. Jason is one of my favorite narrators and it was a joy to moderate his panel at TLA on audiobooks. Grab this one for your high school library today!
CW: cheating
November 14, 2024
Christmas Hallmark movie but make it gay and make it even more Christmassy! I ate this up just like I did with Jason June's Out Of The Blue, and Jay's Gay Agenda. JJ has an incredible talent of writing stories that are digestible, fun, silly, but not without a lot of heart involved. I'm always able to picture JJ's books as movies and this one was no exception.
Yes it is cheesy at times, and over-the-top at others, but that's what makes it SO GOOD. If this doesn't please you, well, I feel sorry for you! Lots of fun and a great first read on my festive list this year.
Yes it is cheesy at times, and over-the-top at others, but that's what makes it SO GOOD. If this doesn't please you, well, I feel sorry for you! Lots of fun and a great first read on my festive list this year.
December 3, 2024
Many thanks to Harper360YA for the digital review copy!
This made for a mostly fun audiobook, but the Christmas island had major cult vibes, so I was afraid this might turn into a thriller at any time.
I appreciated a lot of things about this, like the development both characters go through and how they learn to value themselves enough to go after what they want. And a lot of the book is centered around how fake and exhausting it is to have to keep the Christmas cheer alive yearround, so I can't really blame the book, it did a good job. But I found the whole concept so incredibly creepy, especially with the second generation pretty much feeling forced to stay and keep living and working on the island because they're not taught about what options are out there for them. I have to admit that whole creepy vibe kind of killed the charm for me, which affected my enjoyment.
This made for a mostly fun audiobook, but the Christmas island had major cult vibes, so I was afraid this might turn into a thriller at any time.
I appreciated a lot of things about this, like the development both characters go through and how they learn to value themselves enough to go after what they want. And a lot of the book is centered around how fake and exhausting it is to have to keep the Christmas cheer alive yearround, so I can't really blame the book, it did a good job. But I found the whole concept so incredibly creepy, especially with the second generation pretty much feeling forced to stay and keep living and working on the island because they're not taught about what options are out there for them. I have to admit that whole creepy vibe kind of killed the charm for me, which affected my enjoyment.
November 29, 2024
2.5/5 – Flopping in more ways than one.
I can see why many readers could enjoy Flopping in a Winter Wonderland: it’s a festive, fun romp brimming with Christmas cheer. For those seeking a lighthearted holiday escape, go for it.
However, on a personal level, it didn’t quite land for me. It has all the elements I tend to avoid: a predictable plot, characters that lean too hard into being 'adorably quirky,' and a whirlwind romance that feels rushed—falling in love in just a few days isn't something that moves me.
I can see why many readers could enjoy Flopping in a Winter Wonderland: it’s a festive, fun romp brimming with Christmas cheer. For those seeking a lighthearted holiday escape, go for it.
However, on a personal level, it didn’t quite land for me. It has all the elements I tend to avoid: a predictable plot, characters that lean too hard into being 'adorably quirky,' and a whirlwind romance that feels rushed—falling in love in just a few days isn't something that moves me.
December 28, 2024
I wish I had liked this more!!! I loved the christmas vibes of the christmas-themed island, but unfortunately the characters fell pretty flat for me. The plot felt a little convoluted, but it basically boils down to one character, Aaron, helping his christmas-obsessed brother get over his ex-girlfriend whom he was way too codependent with. I just found all of the characters kind of annoying—I think 2025 needs to be the year I pull the plug and stop reading romances about two cis men because I never!!! enjoy them!!! More than just the romance though, Aaron’s brother was way too obsessed with Christmas, it felt so over the top. On the flip side, I was so confused on how this island functioned—it was giving cult. I wanted to enjoy this, but I think I just wanted more from this story and things to happen differently.
February 14, 2025
Aaron Merry has a big problem on his hands: namely his brother Casey's devoted task to winning back his ex Raquel.
It doesn't help things that Aaron is at Winter Wonderland, a Christmas Themed-Park based in a remote part of Alaska, that is like the equivalent of Disney World BUT ALL CHRISTMAS.
Aaron has held down the fort of his dad and brothers' needs since their mom left suddenly. Now, he has to endure 12 days with his lovesick brother in Winter Wonderland.
Kris Bright has a problem on his hands too. As one of the most Christmasy-Customer service Elves in Winter Wonderland, he wants to make it more inclusive. After the Board turned down the idea of having a gay Santa (specifically Kris's hard working gay Uncle Toby), Kris is on a mission to change that. There's only one, well two catches. He, like the other teen Elves here, have a running game where they try to get patrons to say, "I love you" before the end of their visit. If the staff win, they have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to speak with Kris Kringle, the CEO, and plead their case.
Kris also has very limited options, whereas the other straight-identifying staff are pairing off with guests left and right, but who will win this race?
While the plot may seem like something out of a Hallmark film, it is nevertheless full of love, hope, and of course, all of the things that the romantic leads don't say until its almost too late. The setting is a character all its own, with Gingerbread Chateus, a working toy factory, bakery, ice skating "pond", real reindeer, and dancing flashmobs, you can tell that Jason June, put just as much love and soul into the idea of this place as his characters.
One of the things I appreciate and love about Jason June's writing are his very flawed and usually in some ways, naive, protagonists. The secondary characters are always fun and delightful. I particularly love the brotherly love between Aaron and Casey (its rare to see that, especially when the MC is gay) and featuring a supportive single Dad. We also meet a colorful cast of fellow Elves.
Having read this in February of 2025 (shortly after public statements where made about where certain companies stood on DEI), this could not have been a more prevalent read than now.
The book addresses PTSD from abandonment in a very smart way, showing the different facets of that, as well as real-connected emotions.
Also, June does include a dash of spice as well, which I appreciate, because, I think we were all horny teenagers at one point.
All in all, it was a fun holiday read. Let me just say, this is going in my BFF's stocking next year, and a copy for my own shelf as well.
It doesn't help things that Aaron is at Winter Wonderland, a Christmas Themed-Park based in a remote part of Alaska, that is like the equivalent of Disney World BUT ALL CHRISTMAS.
Aaron has held down the fort of his dad and brothers' needs since their mom left suddenly. Now, he has to endure 12 days with his lovesick brother in Winter Wonderland.
Kris Bright has a problem on his hands too. As one of the most Christmasy-Customer service Elves in Winter Wonderland, he wants to make it more inclusive. After the Board turned down the idea of having a gay Santa (specifically Kris's hard working gay Uncle Toby), Kris is on a mission to change that. There's only one, well two catches. He, like the other teen Elves here, have a running game where they try to get patrons to say, "I love you" before the end of their visit. If the staff win, they have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to speak with Kris Kringle, the CEO, and plead their case.
Kris also has very limited options, whereas the other straight-identifying staff are pairing off with guests left and right, but who will win this race?
While the plot may seem like something out of a Hallmark film, it is nevertheless full of love, hope, and of course, all of the things that the romantic leads don't say until its almost too late. The setting is a character all its own, with Gingerbread Chateus, a working toy factory, bakery, ice skating "pond", real reindeer, and dancing flashmobs, you can tell that Jason June, put just as much love and soul into the idea of this place as his characters.
One of the things I appreciate and love about Jason June's writing are his very flawed and usually in some ways, naive, protagonists. The secondary characters are always fun and delightful. I particularly love the brotherly love between Aaron and Casey (its rare to see that, especially when the MC is gay) and featuring a supportive single Dad. We also meet a colorful cast of fellow Elves.
Having read this in February of 2025 (shortly after public statements where made about where certain companies stood on DEI), this could not have been a more prevalent read than now.
The book addresses PTSD from abandonment in a very smart way, showing the different facets of that, as well as real-connected emotions.
Also, June does include a dash of spice as well, which I appreciate, because, I think we were all horny teenagers at one point.
All in all, it was a fun holiday read. Let me just say, this is going in my BFF's stocking next year, and a copy for my own shelf as well.
December 7, 2024
This book was provided to me as a promotion in exchange for an honest review.
If you take a Hallmark Christmas movie, sprinkle in some 90s teen hijinks and make the main couple gay you you’ve got Flopping in a Winter Wonderland. I thoroughly enjoyed this, it was a breath of fresh air but with all the predictability of a classic cozy Christmas read.
For some reason, I’ve never read a book where the main couple was gay (as in two men), I’ve read just about every other coupling, and I’m really glad that this was my introduction. I really liked the pining, the innocence and how the attraction was described. I’m not sure how to exactly describe it, but it felt more tactile and present and less flowery and definitely had less euphemisms which was great. This is YA so the spiciest it gets are some hot make out sessions.
As for the characters, they’re both around 18-19 year olds, and with that comes some cockiness (pun intended), overconfidence and definitely a good portion of “I can fix everything”, which they obviously learn they can’t. Kris’ journey was very heartbreaking, if you’re a bit older when reading this, you could see a mile off why he was acting the way he did and it hurt my heart, thought the ending was perfect and provided some much needed cathartic resolution for the family.
Aaron was very isolated and him being a minority shined through, and how tough that can be but also what that does to you - his speech to Kris Kringle was so poignant,that while no one is openly homophobic, it's the small micro-aggressions or thoughtlessness that makes you feel ‘othered’. I really liked how the author examined this aspect.
Obviously you don’t have to put that much into it, it was also just a really great Christmas Romance that certainly managed to put me in a Christmassy mood and now I want to buy tickets to Winter Wonderland please!
If you take a Hallmark Christmas movie, sprinkle in some 90s teen hijinks and make the main couple gay you you’ve got Flopping in a Winter Wonderland. I thoroughly enjoyed this, it was a breath of fresh air but with all the predictability of a classic cozy Christmas read.
For some reason, I’ve never read a book where the main couple was gay (as in two men), I’ve read just about every other coupling, and I’m really glad that this was my introduction. I really liked the pining, the innocence and how the attraction was described. I’m not sure how to exactly describe it, but it felt more tactile and present and less flowery and definitely had less euphemisms which was great. This is YA so the spiciest it gets are some hot make out sessions.
As for the characters, they’re both around 18-19 year olds, and with that comes some cockiness (pun intended), overconfidence and definitely a good portion of “I can fix everything”, which they obviously learn they can’t. Kris’ journey was very heartbreaking, if you’re a bit older when reading this, you could see a mile off why he was acting the way he did and it hurt my heart, thought the ending was perfect and provided some much needed cathartic resolution for the family.
Aaron was very isolated and him being a minority shined through, and how tough that can be but also what that does to you - his speech to Kris Kringle was so poignant,that while no one is openly homophobic, it's the small micro-aggressions or thoughtlessness that makes you feel ‘othered’. I really liked how the author examined this aspect.
Obviously you don’t have to put that much into it, it was also just a really great Christmas Romance that certainly managed to put me in a Christmassy mood and now I want to buy tickets to Winter Wonderland please!
November 5, 2024
тιтℓє: Flopping in a Winter Wonderland
αυтнσя(ѕ): Jason June
яєℓєαѕє ∂αтє: November 12, 2024
яαтιηg: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
му тнσυgнтѕ:
Aaron wants to help his brother get over his ex and Kris wants his uncle to become the first gay Santa at the Winter Wonderland theme island.
When these two physically flop together on some ice, they agree to help each other.
They don’t have time to fall in love but both young men can’t quit thinking about the other.
This was a PRECIOUS little ya romcom, y’all.
Kris just wanted equal representation and inclusion at Winter Wonderland and Aaron just wanted his dad and brother to be happy.
Both boys did things from the heart, regardless if they were good or bad.
The mental health rep was superb.
I adored the Merry Trio!
The pain and struggles were raw and realistic.
And the love was endearing and SO sweet.
Whether that love was romantic or family-oriented, it was a pleasure to witness it all.
I really loved how mature these boys were.
They may have made mistakes but they owned them and made adjustments.
They communicated.
And it’s one of those 3rd act youknowwhats that’s actually needed.
I appreciated it because the story needed it.
And that ending was too cute!
A genuinely festive, queer, romantic, fun holiday read!
𝙄 𝙧𝙚𝙘𝙚𝙞𝙫𝙚𝙙 𝙖 𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙥𝙡𝙞𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙖𝙧𝙮 𝙘𝙤𝙥𝙮 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙗𝙤𝙤𝙠. 𝘼𝙡𝙡 𝙧𝙚𝙫𝙞𝙚𝙬𝙨 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙢𝙮 𝙤𝙬𝙣. 𝙌𝙪𝙤𝙩𝙚𝙨 𝙢𝙖𝙮 𝙗𝙚 𝙨𝙪𝙗𝙟𝙚𝙘𝙩 𝙩𝙤 𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙜𝙚 𝙤𝙧 𝙧𝙚𝙢𝙤𝙫𝙖𝙡 𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙛𝙞𝙣𝙖𝙡 𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙞𝙤𝙣.
αυтнσя(ѕ): Jason June
яєℓєαѕє ∂αтє: November 12, 2024
яαтιηg: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
му тнσυgнтѕ:
Aaron wants to help his brother get over his ex and Kris wants his uncle to become the first gay Santa at the Winter Wonderland theme island.
When these two physically flop together on some ice, they agree to help each other.
They don’t have time to fall in love but both young men can’t quit thinking about the other.
This was a PRECIOUS little ya romcom, y’all.
Kris just wanted equal representation and inclusion at Winter Wonderland and Aaron just wanted his dad and brother to be happy.
Both boys did things from the heart, regardless if they were good or bad.
The mental health rep was superb.
I adored the Merry Trio!
The pain and struggles were raw and realistic.
And the love was endearing and SO sweet.
Whether that love was romantic or family-oriented, it was a pleasure to witness it all.
I really loved how mature these boys were.
They may have made mistakes but they owned them and made adjustments.
They communicated.
And it’s one of those 3rd act youknowwhats that’s actually needed.
I appreciated it because the story needed it.
And that ending was too cute!
A genuinely festive, queer, romantic, fun holiday read!
𝙄 𝙧𝙚𝙘𝙚𝙞𝙫𝙚𝙙 𝙖 𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙥𝙡𝙞𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙖𝙧𝙮 𝙘𝙤𝙥𝙮 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙗𝙤𝙤𝙠. 𝘼𝙡𝙡 𝙧𝙚𝙫𝙞𝙚𝙬𝙨 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙢𝙮 𝙤𝙬𝙣. 𝙌𝙪𝙤𝙩𝙚𝙨 𝙢𝙖𝙮 𝙗𝙚 𝙨𝙪𝙗𝙟𝙚𝙘𝙩 𝙩𝙤 𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙜𝙚 𝙤𝙧 𝙧𝙚𝙢𝙤𝙫𝙖𝙡 𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙛𝙞𝙣𝙖𝙡 𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙞𝙤𝙣.
December 29, 2024
I have to say that I initially was skeptical of the premise of the book and didn’t have huge expectations. I was very pleasantly surprised by the story as it unfolded. I fell in love with Kris and Aaron; their individual stories and their budding romance captured my attention and heart. Before I knew it, I was all in on their story. As with any Christmas-themed story are there moments of super-saccharine cheesiness? Of course, but in the end, it’ll only give you a cavity if you choose to ignore the real drama, story, and lessons embedded beneath the backdrop that Christmas and Winter Wonderland provide.
January 14, 2025
This is a perfect Christmas queer romance. I really enjoyed the drama the setting and the characters!
December 3, 2024
I have complicated feelings. I can see what Jason June was going for but I think he leaned a little too hard into making his characters flawed to get the point across as best he could. The cartoon-villainous-sibling nature of Aaron made him such a difficult character to get behind. Aaron’s personality was fine but his motivations were so flawed it was impossible to want anything but healing for him. Kris was a fascinating character, I liked his internal struggles with Christmas, leaving the island, & having an identity of his own. Having said that, as Aaron pointed out, the Fling Ring is still fucked up & also makes him a difficult character.
The overall story wasn’t strong enough to support the decisions of its characters.
The world was very interesting though, it’s a shame we didn’t see more of it.
(Also, this isn’t a valid complaint bc I’m not the target audience since I am in fact an adult, BUT these teenagers were too horny for me, it was a bit uncomfortable at times)
The overall story wasn’t strong enough to support the decisions of its characters.
The world was very interesting though, it’s a shame we didn’t see more of it.
(Also, this isn’t a valid complaint bc I’m not the target audience since I am in fact an adult, BUT these teenagers were too horny for me, it was a bit uncomfortable at times)
January 9, 2025
A generous 3 stars, mainly because I liked the world-building/the detail that went into the Christmas theme park (though... the people were kinda trapped there, right? why didn't we explore the indentured servitude aspect of the park?) Unfortunately, our leads kinda sucked. Kris and Aaron were annoying, self-centered, and thoughtless. I'm all for flawed characters, but it seemed like we should've seen meaningful growth that just didn't happen. And while Casey's plot to win Raquel back was cringe-worthy and inappropriate and SHOULD have been called out, I also felt kinda weird about how we're meant to be entirely on Casey's ex's side when, to me at least, it seemed like she embarked on an emotional affair and was kind of a jerk to him. She definitely had no place getting angry with him for happening to be going on holiday to the place they'd both dreamed of. I was also kinda weirded out that Kris's bestie who set up the game in the first place was just taken at face value as misunderstood but a good friend, when the game is... kinda terrible? Manipulative and mean-spirited, and it seemed to be the epitome of an entitled, wealthy person taking advantage of people with far less means than her. She absolutely could have taken one of her friend on vacation with her if she'd wanted. And yet she was never called out? Not once? And even her driving while intoxicated thing was framed as something that was okay, actually, because she made sure to do it when nobody would be around? (Come ON, nobody can guarantee that, that's still reckless and horrible.)
Actually now that I've written this out, I'm gonna make this 2 stars. I loved the Winter Wonderland setting and the premise of fighting for a gay Santa, and despite everything, I liked Casey, the only one of the main characters who actually seemed kind-hearted and whose flaws were appropriately identified and addressed. Everyone else sucked.
Actually now that I've written this out, I'm gonna make this 2 stars. I loved the Winter Wonderland setting and the premise of fighting for a gay Santa, and despite everything, I liked Casey, the only one of the main characters who actually seemed kind-hearted and whose flaws were appropriately identified and addressed. Everyone else sucked.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 13, 2024
*had theeeeee best time reading this. Review to come.
*I received a digital copy of this book for review, all thoughts are my own*
Aaron wants his brother Casey to move on from his ex, Raquel, but finds that she has shown up at Winter Wonderland, where Casey is determined to win her back. Meanwhile, Kris hopes to win a competition to bring his uncle back as the first gay Santa, but when he teams up with Aaron, their scheming leads to unexpected feelings, challenging their holiday plans and desires.
I LOVED THIS BOOK. I had so so so much fun reading it. Kris and Aaron have never done anything wrong in their lives (this is a lie), and I love them so much. They really had good intentions and wanted to join forces for different reasons. I loved how their relationship developed organically. Their first date was lovely and their first was epic. I will always remember the magic of first kisses.
I loved our side stories, and they were surprisingly emotional. Casey was lovely comic relief along with bringing a lot of heart. Dad, Uncle Toby, and so many others brought out the love in these characters.
Truly a beautiful story and so much fun. Perfect for a winter day with a cup of hot cocoa.
*I received a digital copy of this book for review, all thoughts are my own*
Aaron wants his brother Casey to move on from his ex, Raquel, but finds that she has shown up at Winter Wonderland, where Casey is determined to win her back. Meanwhile, Kris hopes to win a competition to bring his uncle back as the first gay Santa, but when he teams up with Aaron, their scheming leads to unexpected feelings, challenging their holiday plans and desires.
I LOVED THIS BOOK. I had so so so much fun reading it. Kris and Aaron have never done anything wrong in their lives (this is a lie), and I love them so much. They really had good intentions and wanted to join forces for different reasons. I loved how their relationship developed organically. Their first date was lovely and their first was epic. I will always remember the magic of first kisses.
I loved our side stories, and they were surprisingly emotional. Casey was lovely comic relief along with bringing a lot of heart. Dad, Uncle Toby, and so many others brought out the love in these characters.
Truly a beautiful story and so much fun. Perfect for a winter day with a cup of hot cocoa.
February 15, 2025
I’m obsessed with Christmas and Hallmark movies so this was the perfect book for me! It had all the amazingly cheesy and predictable tropes, except with a gay twist that made it even more perfect! The characters and their story were so cute. I don’t even care that it’s not Christmas season anymore, stories like this are amazing year round! It also handles some really important issues surrounding diversity, representation, loss, and self-discovery.
December 20, 2024
Be still, my jaded holiday heart. This was precious! 🎄🎄🎄
*Also kudos to June for writing the most likable straight man ever in Aaron’s brother Casey. What a sweetie.
*Also kudos to June for writing the most likable straight man ever in Aaron’s brother Casey. What a sweetie.
November 12, 2024
(Actual rating 3.5)I'm slowly getting ready for all the Christmas reads, and as my first festive read this year, Flopping In A Winter Wonderland was such a gorgeous way to kick things off. Think of a very sweet, super inclusive hallmark channel movie, and that's exactly what reading this book felt like.
All Aaron wants for Christmas is for his brother to get over his ex Raquel and realise that he's absolutely wonderful as an individual. He doesn't need a relationship to define him and is enough all by himself.
Kris works at Winter Wonderland at an island near Alaska where there's a year-round Christmas themed park. He loves working there and is a hundred per cent full of Christmas spirit. Well, he was before his uncle Tobias left after realising that the resort was never going to accept a gay Santa. He is vowing to get his uncle back and show Kris Kringle the error of ostracising queer santa he takes part in a game, whoever can get a holiday maker to fall in love with them, gets an audience with the boss and Kris is determined to win and state his case.
When Aaron and Kris collide, quite literally sparks are going to fly, but with each of them with their own agenda, can true love prevail?
Flopping In A Winter Wonderland is such a wholesome, heartwarming read, I did find Aaron slightly repetitive for the first 10% of the book, but after that I flew through it and it had me giggling and kicking my feet. It's very funny in places and made me laugh out loud, the scene with the reindeer especially. The characters aren't afraid to be goofy, and I love the message of inclusiveness.
Overall, this is a perfect lgbtq+ read for the festive season, so I would definitely recommend it.
All Aaron wants for Christmas is for his brother to get over his ex Raquel and realise that he's absolutely wonderful as an individual. He doesn't need a relationship to define him and is enough all by himself.
Kris works at Winter Wonderland at an island near Alaska where there's a year-round Christmas themed park. He loves working there and is a hundred per cent full of Christmas spirit. Well, he was before his uncle Tobias left after realising that the resort was never going to accept a gay Santa. He is vowing to get his uncle back and show Kris Kringle the error of ostracising queer santa he takes part in a game, whoever can get a holiday maker to fall in love with them, gets an audience with the boss and Kris is determined to win and state his case.
When Aaron and Kris collide, quite literally sparks are going to fly, but with each of them with their own agenda, can true love prevail?
Flopping In A Winter Wonderland is such a wholesome, heartwarming read, I did find Aaron slightly repetitive for the first 10% of the book, but after that I flew through it and it had me giggling and kicking my feet. It's very funny in places and made me laugh out loud, the scene with the reindeer especially. The characters aren't afraid to be goofy, and I love the message of inclusiveness.
Overall, this is a perfect lgbtq+ read for the festive season, so I would definitely recommend it.
December 12, 2024
This was my first full length novel of the holiday season and it turned out to be a great one to start with. I really enjoyed the humor, Kris with his friends and Aaron with his family, Kris and Aaron's flirting and eventual relationship despite neither of them wanting one or believing in love, the amazing descriptions of Winter Wonderland, and The subplot of Kris and Aaron trying to prevent Casey and his ex-girlfriend getting back together was amusing as well. I agree with another reviewer that said Wonderland felt like a cult. The parents all decided to move there, then had kids and those kids don't have a choice about living and working there, at least for the first 18 years of their lives, and make it almost impossible for them to leave. I did love the opposite side through Kris and Aaron's viewpoints and was glad not everyone was sucked in by the constant magic of Christmas. A really solid YA Christmas romcom with some heat and a lot of fun.
December 21, 2024
This book was not for me at all but I guess I needed to experience a cheesy Christmas book and this is the most bizarre introduction to it 😂 I can’t get over the ridiculous premise of this Christmas Disney theme park on a secluded island and the shenanigans happen. I guess it’s fine if you want something to enjoy a low bar book but the amount of “telling” was so much that I started zoning out of those parts. Also the romance was so fast and makes me think I guess isolated teens are just horny or something. And don’t get me started how this book makes all the women except Anjelica (?) look bad. But the star of the show, as annoying as he was, was Casey I’m glad he was the heart and soul of it all but I feel like it should be in his pov lol. But yeah if you want a fun short easy gay Christmas book this is it.
December 29, 2024
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a free eARC in exchange for review!
This was such an interesting concept and had the right amount of Christmas and romance. Kris and Aaron's chemistry was there from the beginning, and I loved seeing their relationship develop. The setting of Winter Wonderland really added to the Christmas atmosphere and made me want to visit. Overall, this book has meddling, cute romance, and loads of Christmas, and it was just what I needed! I would recommend this!
(*3.5)
This was such an interesting concept and had the right amount of Christmas and romance. Kris and Aaron's chemistry was there from the beginning, and I loved seeing their relationship develop. The setting of Winter Wonderland really added to the Christmas atmosphere and made me want to visit. Overall, this book has meddling, cute romance, and loads of Christmas, and it was just what I needed! I would recommend this!
(*3.5)
December 26, 2024
If you’re able to suspend your disbelief, a bit around the existence of the Winter Wonderland park, this book is a fun, cute and feeling holiday romance. It is predictable and clichéd, but it’s done in just the right way to make it satisfying as a holiday romance. The characters are well-developed, even the secondary ones, the premise is cute, and the relationships, as well as the obstacles surrounding them, are relatable.
December 3, 2025
Like a queer hallmark Christmas movie set in a Christmas wonderland theme resort. I loved the premise of the movie and the story it self. Tho it was predictable at times it didn’t take away anything from the story.
November 27, 2024
The perfect first read of the holiday season!
August 22, 2025
It was a silly, heartfelt romcom with a whacky setting, and I quite enjoyed it, though the wackiness of the setting did feel a little heavy handed at times.
December 23, 2024
If The Getaway by Lamar Giles was a Christmas book that never realized it was horror and not a romcom.
I think if the book had gone all-in on Winter Wonderland being a great place (or maybe better, a fantastical place with actual Santa), maybe this would have worked better for me, but it acknowledges that it's phony and the millionaire owner traps people into a desperate life of work at the most isolated spot in the world and forces even the children to work and smile about it for the tourists, but then never really condemns it. At the end, they just open a second theme park?
I think if the book had gone all-in on Winter Wonderland being a great place (or maybe better, a fantastical place with actual Santa), maybe this would have worked better for me, but it acknowledges that it's phony and the millionaire owner traps people into a desperate life of work at the most isolated spot in the world and forces even the children to work and smile about it for the tourists, but then never really condemns it. At the end, they just open a second theme park?
Want to read
February 7, 2024this cover is magical 🥺️
September 11, 2025
This book is so willfully and smugly blind to its own flaws that I cannot understand how anyone could read this without becoming deeply annoyed.
To be fair(ish), I wouldn't have read this if I had realized why the name Jason June sounded so familiar. If I had looked up his other books, I would have remembered my experiences with those and I would have never touched this one. I don't like how he writes people. I don't like his patronizing tone and I don't like how he tends to therapize everything. If this man is not a member of the chronically online I would be incredibly surprised.
All that is to say, this book was never going to be a hit for me. But I didn't do my due diligence and I let the pretty cover lure me in, and by the time I realized just what author I was dealing with, I was already a quarter of the way in and sunk cost forced me to continue. That, and I was a little curious to see if the very obvious flaws in the characters and plot would be addressed as part of the story development or if the author did not actually recognize them as problems (it was the latter, of course, as previously mentioned).
I am putting the rest under a spoiler because it is very long (and also contains a certain degree of spoilers).
To be fair(ish), I wouldn't have read this if I had realized why the name Jason June sounded so familiar. If I had looked up his other books, I would have remembered my experiences with those and I would have never touched this one. I don't like how he writes people. I don't like his patronizing tone and I don't like how he tends to therapize everything. If this man is not a member of the chronically online I would be incredibly surprised.
All that is to say, this book was never going to be a hit for me. But I didn't do my due diligence and I let the pretty cover lure me in, and by the time I realized just what author I was dealing with, I was already a quarter of the way in and sunk cost forced me to continue. That, and I was a little curious to see if the very obvious flaws in the characters and plot would be addressed as part of the story development or if the author did not actually recognize them as problems (it was the latter, of course, as previously mentioned).
I am putting the rest under a spoiler because it is very long (and also contains a certain degree of spoilers).
Displaying 1 - 30 of 196 reviews