The Year of the Crocodile: Cyclone

By Courtney Milan

Tina Chen and Blake Reynolds have been together for almost a year. In that time, they've grown closer on just about every front. The one exception? Blake's father has never let anything stop him. Tina's parents have never let anyone push them around. And they've never met.

That's about to change. But don't worry—fireworks are traditional at Chinese New Years.

Note: This is a short story (10,000 words) that assumes that you've already read Trade Me. 

• Language: English
• Publisher: Courtney Milan
• Release date: Sep 12, 2016
• ISBN: 9781937248635

Courtney Milan

Courtney Milan lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband, an exuberant dog, and an attack cat. Before she started writing historical romance, Courtney experimented with various occupations, none of which stuck. Now, when she's not reading (lots), writing (lots), or sleeping (not enough), she can be found in the vicinity of a classroom. You can learn more about Courtney at http://www.courtneymilan.com.

Book preview

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Reviews for The Year of the Crocodile

[rivkat_2 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

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.

[unreachableshelf · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

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.