⭐ All About Romance Favourite Book 2025 ⭐ 

Sold. Used. Broken.
Until him.

London, 2095. The world drowned. The system broke. And people became property.

Enslaved and microchipped, Alexander Lytton survived by creating the perfect mask: blank, obedient, invisible. Behind it, he was safe. One slip, and he was dead.

Until his master is murdered, and Alex becomes the prime suspect.

Detective Josiah Raine hasn't touched another man since his husband's brutal murder seven years ago. He's a ghost investigating ghosts, running on empty, barely holding himself together.

His job: prove the beautiful, sharp-witted suspect guilty.

The problem? He isn't sure Alex did it. And when Josiah cracks Alex's mask wide open, he finds something far more dangerous—the man Alex buried to survive.

In Alex's arms, Josiah remembers what it feels like to be human. But Alex isn't his to love. He's evidence. Property. Forbidden.

And the secrets Alex is hiding could destroy them both.

Dark water. Deadly secrets. Dangerous love.

Contains dark themes intended for mature readers—see Author's Notes for content advisory.

What readers are saying:
"Crocodile Tears is beautiful and sad; full of love, pain, grief, guilt, hopelessness, and loneliness. It's a tale of two lost souls, each treading the violent waters of guilt and grief in their own way for their own reasons." - Cinnamon ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

"Holy shit, this was amazing! It's got my stomach twisted in knots and my heart already broken for both Alex and Joe." - Goodreads Reader ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

"WOW! It's not often that I get sucked into the turmoil and grief on page but damn did I feel it in this one." - Bkwrm24 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

"Xanthe Walter crafts characters that feel real, raw, and unforgettable. This book gave me chills and tears—I couldn't put it down." - Maissy Reads ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐