This definitely felt like a Hallmark holiday movie in YA book form. So if that is what you are looking for, this is the book for you!

I thought both Kris and Aaron were so sweet. And the setting is the best - a theme park where it is Christmas every day of the year. The perfect cozy and cute Christmas read.

Thanks so much to the publisher and NetGalley for a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

*3.5 stars
An extremely Christmassy YA romance starring some extremely frustrating gays. However, the ending really pulled on my heartstrings and got me good like a cheesy Christmas romance should.

This book is a delightful and heartwarming holiday read, brimming with charm and humor. The writing is quick-witted and filled with warmth, making it the perfect pick for those looking for a light-hearted escape. The characters are relatable and lovable, and the plot is a fun blend of festive spirit and personal growth.

If you're looking for a cute, cozy, Christmas-centered rom-com, this might fit the bill. There were many moments that had me grinning and giggling, and I overall found it pretty enjoyable. My one critique is that the third act breakup towards the end of the story feels a bit forced and unnecessary for the plot, but that aside, I had a good time reading this. (3.5/5)

This was such a cute and heartwarming story! I love the characters and felt such a connection with both Aaron and Kris. Each of them had genuine reasons for their actions and nothing felt forced. Without spoilers, I’d love to see a sequel picking up right where things left off.

Jason June has created such an adorable and unique universe with these romance novels filled with the queer variety. I cannot get enough of them !

This book is so aesthetically pleasing if you love Christmas. The book is set on an Island in Alaska that serves as a year round Winter Wonderland. Perfect setting for a queer rom com! Parts of this book felt very YA though but overall I enjoyed the two main characters.

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.

Everytime I think of opening this book, I think about reading Out of the Blue and the oversexualization of literal minors in that and I literally can't. I'm sorry.

This is too much like a cheesy hallmark movie. I'm guessing that's the point but those movies aren't anything I enjoy.
Aaron is on the extreme side of “I don't need anyone or anything” he literally refers to himself as a robot but also says outright he isn't ace or aromantic. I do love some ace rep in books.

Aaron's brother Casey is also an extreme stereotype. Loves love, sappy, loves Christmas. It's over the top and I don't know how much I can handle.

Nick is the most normal despite being named after a dude named Kris kringle, owns a whole island called “Christmas land” and gave his parents a job there before he was born. But then there's his friend group who have a contest every year to see who can get one of the visitors to say “I love you” the first person who successful gets to go with Kringle’s daughter for the spring break trip in New York. If the rest want already hard for me to get behind a contest to manipulate people falling in love with you?

I really want to finish this but I dunno if I can.

I landed on a 2.5 star rating. This was just too over the top for me. I didn’t like the contest aspect and the resolution was too much like the endings of cheesy hallmark movies.

4.5/5 stars
This book is so cute and full of Christmas magic, a perfect book to read around the holidays. I’ve read a few of Jason June’s other books so I was excited for this one, especially since it was a genre switch. I was not disappointed! Super fun premise, with two boys, one of which doesn’t really love Christmas and the other lives on an Alaskan island that is Christmas all year round, It super funny with a cute romantic plot while also being real and having good conversations about how people deal with grief and how much difference we can make. Did I think it was a little cringey at points? Absolutely. But, honestly, that didn’t take away from how great the book was and added to the realness of it. So, if you need some Christmas cheer, never fear, flopping is here!

I love Jason June's writing, they do a fabulously messy main character dealing with being a messy person. Flopping in Winter Wonderland is no exception. Aaron and Kris are both on a mission, that may or may not be aligned, but because of the nature of their missions, they end up sparking together.

Aaron wants his brother to get over his ex, Kris wants to win the Race so he can petition Santa to hire his uncle back as the first openly gay Santa at Winter Wonderland. It's messy, and they both have a lot to learn.

Recommend for those who want a little winter wonderland magic but make it gay.

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)

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.

What a festive delight! This world is brimming with quirky charm, holiday cheer, and vibrant queer representation. The unique world-building creates an enchanting backdrop for a teenage queer romance and a cast of relatable characters trying to navigate life's ups and down. Whether you’re a fan of holiday romances or simply crave a story that celebrates queer joy, this book delivers in every way.

Sincere thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review!

Aaron is determined to help his brother Casey get over his ex, Raquel, at a Winter Wonderland theme park with the help of Kris, a Wanderer (theme parker worker). This book screams Christmas but without some of the rose-tinted glasses. I enjoyed the fun, messy, shenanigans, holiday themed attractions, and the attempts at sabotaging Casey. June also explores separation, abandonment, queer identity, and family dynamics. Overall, this was a fun, queer holiday read with some hallmark-y vibes and random flash mobs.

Thanks NetGalley and Harper Collins for the arc!

This was exactly what I needed.

It’s NOT cringe or corny, before you ask.

BUT.

It IS a fantastic holiday hug in a book. It’s like if a queer Hallmark movie and Heartstopper blended into one beautiful peppermint hot cocoa.

If you’re not into that kind of easy, joyful, romantic story, this might not be for you. But I loved it and this got me right in the spirit.

It's always a delight to read another Jason June's book, and this feeling didn't change with "Flopping in a Winter Wonderland".

June's always eclectic when it comes to write theirs books. They started off with "Jay's Gay Agenda" — contemporary YA rom-com — that become one of my favorites reads from the year it was realesad, and then they released "Out of the Blue" — a fantasy contemporary YA — that, unfortunately, was not my taste, but many readers enjoyed it very much.

Flopping in a Winter Wonderland is their newest release and the story is set during Christmas season. It was a very good and delightful read, I was able to enjoy it since the beginning till the end of it.

Thank you to the publisher for the earc!

I was in need of some Christmas-y books this year, so I’m really glad I got the chance to read this story! It takes place on a secluded Alaskan island, where Christmas is all year around. I’m in a bit of trouble with this review actually. I loved the whole winter-y, Christmas-y vibe of the book, but I have too many unanswered questions.

I loved Aaron and Kris, and while I usually hate instalove, I’ll let it slide this once. They both knew what they wanted and were willing to do whatever it took to achieve their goal. Aaron wanted to help his brother to get over his recent break up, while Kris wanted a chance to bring back his beloved uncle to the island to be the first gay Santa. In a way they both were wrong for using the other for their own selfish goals. I’m really happy the Merry family went to therapy at the end of the book, cuz Aaron and Casey definitely needed it.

All the while, I have some issues with Winter Wonderland. It’s the dream destination for everyone who loves Christmas, but at what price? Kris and the other kids who were born there never knew anything about the real world. It was heartbreaking to read that he thought he had no chance of going to college. His parents have worked there since the park opened, he also works there, but they just can’t afford it. The people who originally moved there gave up everything for the founders dream, but they get a minimal pay for living at the end of the world? It doesn’t sit well with me. And I felt so bad for the kids for not having any choice in their lives. Like it was their parents' choice to move to a small island far away from the mainland, but this way the kids had no chance of knowing normality. Growing up in a constant state of Christmas isn’t healthy.

I have another thing I didn’t understand, how old is Anjelica? They are about to graduate, this is the 4th Race they are doing, and she was “exiled” here for extreme partying and crashing her car. By that timeline she should have been about 13 or 14 then and she was already drinking and had her own car? Someone explain, cuz it didn’t make any sense.

I know I wrote more about the things I didn’t enjoy, but it was an adorable Holiday book, and would highly recommend if you’re looking for something cute this season!

I feel like this book is classic Jason June with some added holiday flair, and I had a fun time reading it. At points it's a cheesy gay holiday romcom, but there are also great moments of character growth and development that make it more enjoyable. Both characters start the book not really wanting love, and throughout the story they find out how they really do, while also facing some of the elements of their pasts that’s made them hesitant. I really enjoyed how queerness is centered (it is a gay romcom) but also the notes about actually including thoughts about gay people being represented in Christmas, even if it is a fake Christmas wonderland in Alaska. I think if you’re looking for a last-minute cute Christmas romcom that has a plot AND vibes, this is a great book to pick up!