The Year of the Crocodile is a novella/short story in the Cyclone series by Courtney Milan.

Plot:
Tina and Blake have been dating for almost a year and Tina is excited to bring Blake home for Chinese New Year. Blake has been suggesting that Tina’s parents should also meet Blake’s father Adam, but Tina is afraid of that encounter. Her parents Hong Mei and Jian had to flee China for political reasons and don’t let anybody push them around. And Adam Reynolds, CEO of Cyclone Industries, is a pusher if ever there was one. But when Adam gets wind of it all, he decides to take matters in his own hands – as per usual. It will be an explosive New Year indeed.

The Year of the Crocodile is an absolute blast (no pun intended) (okay, pun slightly intended). It is funny and emotional and a sweet intermediate course in the series.

Read more on my blog: https://kalafudra.com/2021/01/29/the-year-of-the-crocodile-courtney-milan/ ( )

Short followup to Milan’s Trade Me, in which the lovers’ parents meet, which is awkward because her parents are Falun Gong and his father makes billions from dealing with China and taking advantage of Chinese labor. ( )

The Year of the Crocodile is a short story in the Cyclone series, about when the parents of the hero and heroine in the first book in the series, Trade Me, finally meet. It takes place about halfway through the second book, Hold Me. You don't have to have read Hold Me, which follows a different couple, but I can't imagine how much somebody who hasn't read Trade Me would care.

If you've read at least so much as the review of Trade Me, though, you'll know that the parents were one of my favorite parts. Particularly Blake's dad, who is commonly known as Adam Fucking Reynolds and whose primary language is asshole. Furthermore, he does business in China, and Tina's parents are considered cult members by the Chinese government and had been sent for "reeducation." It's not immediately clear who is the irresistible force and who is the immovable object in this scenario.

The banter. MY GOD, THE BANTER. There's not a lot of consequence to this story. It's just an extra glimpse into the lives of the characters from the first book, as Tina and Blake's relationship hits the point where the parents meet. But it's a thing of beauty. The dialogue is always the greatest strength of a Courtney Milan book, and here, where a large portion of the story is told from the POV of one of those characters who was never meant to get a book but has demanded one (actually a massive forthcoming epic), it's as strong as it ever is. ( )