Thank you Harper Collins for the ARC.

If you are a fan of romantic comedies, this book is for you. It is, by far, the cutest Christmas novel I've ever read! It offers such a warm and fuzzy experience, giving off all the Hallmark vibes while capturing the realities of unexpected love and family dynamics. I also appreciated how JJ addressed unhealthy coping mechanisms that people can have. I can't stop smiling after reading this book! JJ does an amazing job of creating stories that are easy to get into. From the moment I started reading, I was hooked. From every Christmas mishap to heartfelt moments, this book deserves to be at the top of your Christmas reading list. And if you love a good pun, look no further.

I am not normally the type of person to get super into Christmas before Thanksgiving but this book really brought out the holiday spirit in me. The holiday cliches in Winter Wonderland came across as charming instead of cringe and the main cast had so much character! Kris and Aaron are so well fit for one another and I was rooting for them since they first collided (literally). Learning about the Merry family and how they cope differently with their mother’s abandonment and the ways that Aaron tries to gain control in his own life are integral to him as a character and I love how they showed his growth in this story. The Race was destined to be a source of conflict from the beginning but when that moment came I was still mad that it had to happen. Chris you know what you did!! I love Kris and his motivations to get his Uncle back and his desire to have the representation of a gay Santa in Winter Wonderland and his willingness to bend the rules when he starts to truly experience love (even if it’s subconscious at first). The pacing was also really well done. And Casey and Raquel’s plot-line perfectly balances out the story, makes you understand Aaron better as a character, and drives Kris learn what the Race truly means to him. You’d think that it would feel fast to have the majority of the book happen in a total of twelve days, but it actually worked perfectly and had that perfect touch of Christmas magic to make it feel that much more believable. This is definitely a must read for all this holiday season.

This was such a cute Christmas read! I've read most of Jason June's previous books, but I have to say I think Flopping in a Winter Wonderland may be my favorite book of his thus far! I loved Kris and Aaron as characters. Aaron’s nickname is "the Robot" because he manages to keep a cool demeanor in every situation. Aaron is not willing to be distracted by boys or crushes or anything. His family is his #1 priority. Enter Kris. Kris has lived his entire life at Winter Wonderland, a theme park located on an island of Alaska where Christmas occurs year round. Kris is desperate to win the Race, a contest amongst his fellow Wonderer’s for who can get a mainlander to proclaim their love for them first. At first Aaron is nothing more than a mark to Kris. And Kris is nothing more than a means to keep his brother and his ex-girlfriend apart for Aaron. Slowly the two grow closer and closer and despite their best efforts, feelings begin to take hold.

Flopping in a Winter Wonderland is a story about two teens on the cusp of adulthood who both have never experienced romantic love, are not even sure if it really exists. What starts out as more of a mutually beneficial partnership leads to a friendship and eventually more. Kris and Aaron make a lot of mistakes in this story, but they learn from them and they grow as people. I really enjoyed their journey and this Christmas wonderland June created. I think a lot of us use the season of Christmas as a time of healing, and I appreciated June showing that it is not some magical cure all. Another enjoyable read from Jason June, I look forward to his next release!

In the true spirit of Christmas comes a really adorable novel, Flopping in a Winter Wonderland by Jason June! It was my first Christmas read of the year and it did not disappoint. Centered around a Christmas amusement park between two characters Kris who lives on the island year round making magic for all its visitors while yearning for his gay uncle to come back to the island. Then there’s Aaron who is trying to help his Christmas obsessed older brother Casey get over his girlfriend Raquel, once they win a trip to the theme park. What wasn’t planned was Kris and Aaron falling for each other when neither really believes in love and treats Christmas more as a grinch than as a tiny Tim. Hijinks ensues when Raquel ends up at the theme park at the exact same time. Come for the laughs, stay for the Christmas magic and tidings of good cheer. Who doesn’t love a sparkly funny holiday romance.

Figuring out where to start this review is tricky. Normally I start by giving a brief description of what this book is about, then talk about what I thought about it. But my main problem with this book is how insanely complicated the concept of this book is, which is now giving me trouble with writing up a description. Trying to explain this book is kind of exhausting, but this is my best attempt:
- Some rich billionaire bought an entire island and started a Christmas cult?
- People moved there to be paid minimum wage to be Christmas elves year round in exchange for free housing and healthcare, but it is extremely difficult to leave if you want to
- The kids who were born on this island would completely fail in the real world. They take acting, dancing, and hospitality classes at their high school. They can never have a normal life, so they are double stuck on this island.
- Kris was born on the island and is upset that his uncle couldn't be a gay Santa, so he managed to leave the island. Kris wants to bring his uncle back, and the only way to do that is to win a silly bet he and his friends made, which is super convoluted but would lead to him meeting the billionaire who owns the island.
- Aaron's brother honestly should work on this island because his obsession with Christmas is insane. They win a trip to the island but the brother's recent ex-girlfriend is there, so Aaron decides to keep them away from one another by ruining all the Christmas fun. Enter Kris, who is helping him because he thinks he can get Aaron to fall in love with him, thus winning him the bet.

Once I got past the kind of absurd concept, the writing itself was still good. We had a classic bet trope thrown into the holiday romance, and they were really sweet together. I have enjoyed Jason June books before, so I was expecting to like this a lot. I kept thinking to myself - this could have just been set in a small town with a Christmas festival every winter, and I would have enjoyed it so much more. This was giving classic Hallmark Christmas movie, except the romance of it all got buried under this insanely convoluted plot.

Thank you for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!

ARC review for Flopping in a Winter Wonderland by Jason June

Thanks to Jason, Harper Collins, and NetGalley for the ARC opportunity!

Featured tropes: holiday romance, romcom, trying to win a bet, third act break-up, forced proximity, partners in crime (like not actual crime but you know what I mean), YA

Trigger warning: this is pretty light, friends. Past parental abandonment I suppose but like, it's pretty chill so I wouldn't let it stop you from reading the book

Review: 4/5

Friends. This book was delightful. It's the perfect little book to get you in the holiday spirit with some lighthearted fun.

Things I liked:
- Kris and Aaron are so sweet. Both of our MMCs are just trying to work towards, really, pretty selfless goals. Yeah, they have their own motivations but really, they're doing what they're doing so they can help someone they love.
- I loved the Merry family. Aaron, my little type A bebe, just warmed my heart. He's such a caretaker and I love him for it. Casey is Christmas insane and it's hilarious. I wasn't sure how I was going to feel about Dad because, to start, he seemed pretty absent and aloof but he really shaped up towards the end of the book and made me really love him. Plus, the banter between them. I love me some good banter and I love it even more when it's between a family that clearly loves each other so much they're totally down to give each other hell.
- The concept was just so wonderful. Come on. A year-round Christmas theme park where it's the holiday season every day? Just that concept is so fun and it was great getting to imagine such a place.

Things I disliked or missed the mark:
- I would have liked a little more clarity surrounding Winter Wonderland upon its introduction. It's billed as a theme park but, at the beginning, the way things are talked about made me wonder if it was truly "Santa's Workshop." It was a little confusing to start but it did clear up eventually and, yes, it's just a Christmas lover's dream in a destination, immersive theme park.
- Was it cheesy and sugar sweet? Oh, absolutely. I suppose it's to be expected from a holiday romcom but we're definitely talking Hallmark-level cheese here.
- I would have loved an epilogue with a brief glimpse to a year or even just six months in the future. After what I'll dub "The Big Announcement" the story wraps up SO quickly. I would have loved just a little peek into their life (particularly Kris') a little bit down the road.

Overall, if you want a punch of holiday happiness, this is a great fit. Keep in mind, this is a YA novel so, if you're looking for spice, you won't find hardly any here beyond a few good make out sessions but it's still worth a read.

(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 Wads, 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.

I really wanted to enjoy this book, while is started out great, it just went down hill for me. And Aaron could be a little annoying at time. 3 stars

This was just such a sweet little holiday tale! I don't read much YA, but I always enjoy June's work. All the characters were amazing, and I loved the 100% of the time christmas setting. It's very much a nod to christmas romcoms in such a fun way.

Flopping in a Winter Wonderland is an adorable, heartwarming, and quick romantic comedy.

The story follows a young man named Aaron, who travels to Winter Wonderland to help his brother, Casey, get over a breakup. The plot twist comes when he realizes that Casey’s ex, Raquel, is also at Winter Wonderland. Aaron enlists the help of Kris, a Wonderer, to help keep his brother and Raquel apart. It truly is the perfect Hallmark plot.

One of my absolute favorite parts of the book was the magical setting. Winter Wonderland, a Christmas theme park in Alaska, was a whimsical and joyous background to the story. The winter festivities hosted at the resort are incredibly fun to read about and put me in the holiday spirit. I just wish that it was more developed, and we got to see more of the Alaskan setting.

As per Hallmark tradition, this book was also extremely cheesy. Casey is constantly trying to win Raquel over with over the top gestures. There are holiday puns and snowman contests. Occasionally, this cheesiness became slightly too much for me. But overall, I knew going in this book would be cheesy in a fun way, and it just added to the charm.

This book did an amazing job of balancing hard topics like homophobia with light hearted joy. It also went into topics such as the long term effects of divorce, which I appreciated.

I had such an amazing time reading this book. It was the perfect sweet and fun book to help get in the holiday spirit. Fans of The Nightmare before Kissmas by Sara Raasch would adore this! This was a 3.5 star for me!

This was a fun New Adult M/M holiday romance set in the year-round Winter Wonderland theme park located north of Alaska and has young Kris, trying to get his uncle to return so he can be the first gay Santa and Aaron trying to help his brother get over his toxic ex.

Neither was expecting to fall for anyone but they can't help resist the magic of the holidays as they compete in a race to prevent Aaron's brother from falling for his ex again and spend more time trying to resist each other than either expected.

Jason June does a great job mixing whimsy with more serious topics of homophobia in the story perfect for fans of books like The nightmare before Kissmas by Sara Raasch or The Merriest Misters by Timothy Janovsky. The romance is charming and the world is truly magical. Great on audio read by the author and Shawn K. Jain. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital and audio copy in exchange for my honest review!

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.

i received an e-ARC and am giving this review :)

i don’t know where to start, i loved this. this was such a cute and lighthearted read, and will be SO perfect for the holidays. i loved getting to know aaron and kris, even if i already felt i knew aaron a little too well from my own personal experiences haha. this was just so cute while still relatable and helpful to the reader to feel things. i don’t know how to put it exactly, but this book allowed me to feel things i hadn’t let myself think about while not making it a trigger thing, if that makes sense. felt more like chatting with friends than therapy. but it was just so, so lovely to read, to feel for all of the characters. it just filled me with such hope. this was so wonderful

Ahhhhh this one was so good!! It’s the perfect mix of cheesy rom-com, family drama and fighting the capitalist corporate machine! If you’re looking for a fun YA holiday romance with a whole lot of heart, this is absolutely for you ♥️🎄

Casey Merry is desperately, obsessively in love with his girlfriend Raquel. So when she dumps him just before Christmas, Casey’s younger brother Aaron knows that he needs to distract him. In an almost magical turn of fate, the Merry family win an all expenses paid trip to Winter Wonderland, a Christmas Themed Island holiday experience in Alaska (think Disneyland, but Xmas). Aaron thinks this will be the perfect distraction for Casey… until it turns out Raquel is at Winter Wonderland too, with her new boyfriend! Determined to help Casey learn to be independent, Aaron sets out to help sabotage his brother’s attempts to win Raquel back, with the help of a very cute Winter Wonderland worker, Kris Bright.

Kris was born in Winter Wonderland and working there is all he’s very known, but the sparkle was taken out of his life when his Uncle Toby left because he wasn’t allowed to be Santa and gay… he’s always felt stifled being a gay teen at Winter Wonderland but he has a plan. Every year the teens of Winter Wonderland play ‘the race’… a competition to see if they can get a tourist to admit to being in love with them. He intends to win and therefore get a trip to New York and talk to the CEO of Winter Wonderland and get Uncle Toby to come back.

So ensues an adorable romance between a boy who lives and breathes (and hates) Christmas and a boy who never wants to fall in love because he’s too busy looking after everyone else. I loved the weird almost dystopian aspect of Winter Wonderland, where you can get fired for not presenting with Christmas cheer at all times and where you are expected to give your entire life over to Kringle Korp. This book has so many layers and I just loved Aaron and Kris (and Casey, bless him!) - it was just such a delightful read and the ending was absolutely Christmas rom-com worthy!

Read Flopping in a Winter Wonderland for:
✨ YA Queer Christmas Rom-Com
✨ Sabotaging your brothers dates
✨ Weirdly dystopian Xmas themed island experience
✨ Finding out who you are (and what’s just trauma)
✨ So. Many. Flash. Mobs.
✨ Fighting the capitalist corporate machine
✨ Why can’t Santa Claus be gay?
✨ Reindeers, skating, hot chocolate, kissing!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Harper360YA for an eARC of this amazing book! It’s available on 12th November 2024 ❄️

This was such a sweet, fluffy, perfect holiday YA romcom! I loved Aaron’s type A self and Kris’ personality that completed each other so well. The setting was idealistic and really lent itself to the perfect holiday theme of the book - I find that many author’s try too hard to incorporate holiday items/details into their books but this was effortless and made for such a cute and cozy read. I loved the sweet relationship development between the two. 🥹

This was a fun read! I'll admit there were times when I wanted to throw a snow ball at Aaron's face, but all in all I really enjoyed it! Loved all the characters (minus Aaron sometimes). I did enjoy the side stories. It was just fun, which is what you want for a Christmas themed romcom.

First of all, thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins for the ARC of this book!

I have been a Jason June fan since I read Jay's Gay Agenda and have tried to read everything Jason has written since. Flopping in a Winter Wonderland did not disappoint. I loved the character arcs and development of Aaron and Kris. Their instant connection, mixed with their cynicism of believing in connections and love, made for a more a great story to read. With all the elements of our favorite holiday movie moments, I felt like I was snuggled on the couch during a snowy day with a cup of hot coco while I was reading it, even though it was sunny and in the 70's outside. I enjoyed the growth that the characters received and the ending. Definitely one of my new favorite holiday reads!

Aaron is determined to help his brother Casey get over his breakup, a relationship that lasted six years. When they win a trip to Winter Wonderland, the year-round Christmas Alaskan destination, Aaron hopes that his Christmas-loving brother will move on. But when Casey's ex-girlfriend also shows up at Winter Wonderland, Aaron's plan gets much harder.

Kris wants to win The Game during this last Twelve group of the year. He doesn't believe in Christmas magic or love, but he does a great job selling it as a member of Winter Wonderland. This Game is the most important because winning will get him the opportunity to get his Uncle Toby hired as the first gay Santa at Winter Wonderland.

When Aaron and Kris cross paths in Winter Wonderland, neither is looking for love. Can Christmas magic make everyone's dreams come true?

I enjoy a good Christmas rom-com, but this one felt too forced. I wanted to fall in love with Winter Wonderland, but the vibe just felt off the whole time. The Alaskan setting didn't feel well explained until partway through the story, and Winter Wonderland felt too fake. Aaron and Kris's romance felt authentic, and I adored the family relationship with Aaron, Casey, and their dad. A good start to a Christmas rom-com, but I've read ones that have been more well-written.

This book was so cute and got me right into the holiday spirit! For starters I loved the characters and their dual POVs. I instantly fell in love with Aaron, with his type A personality and devotion to his family. He had amazing development learning to talk about his feelings and rely on others. It took me slightly longer to warm up to Kris, but I adored his love for his uncle and the queer community. He also had great development learning to be his own person and dream of a life outside of Wonderland. Together Aaron and Kris had a fantastic relationship, softening each other’s jadedness and showing each other the meaning of love. I also loved the setting of Winter Wonderland. It was nuanced, with beautiful scenery but a questionable origin and operation. The only part of the story I didn’t completely love was the plot to keep poor Casey single. I also didn’t love the physical escalation of Kris and Aaron’s relationship. But I did love the ending for all the characters and their relationships. So overall I recommend this book.

*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.