Undertow by J.M. Snyder is a homoerotic paranormal romance and the fourth book in the Del Fantasma series.

Derek has lost the most important person in his life, Tad, and he can’t get past the loss. It isn’t helping that lately he has been receiving phone calls stating “I’ve found what you lost”. These strange calls have led him to a bar called the Del Fantasma for some answers. Derek is about to leave when he sees someone from his past, Kellen. In reality, Derek was originally as Merrow, a mythical creature that lives in the sea, but has a talisman that enabled him to leave the sea for the shore. As long as he keeps the talisman on him, he can return to the sea at any time. Kellen fell in love with Derek when they were young, but Derek, then known as Dere, always had his eyes on he land until he saw Tad and never looked back. Kellen has news that Tad isn’t dead, instead he is being held captive by a female Merrow as a pet in a cage. Kellen, Dere’s childhood friend, has a proposition for him, one night of sexual bliss and he will help Dere get Tad back. Will Derek find a way to get Tad back or will he submit to Kellen?

Ms. Snyder once again has blended the paranormal using mythical creatures in a present day setting with characters that snare the reader from the start. Derek’s feelings of grief and longing for his partner were very poignant. The choice Derek had to make, fidelity to his love or loosing Tad forever, is one that most people would never face. Add to this an old lover who initially looks like a bad guy, but who is still dealing with loosing the love of his life, Dere, when he chose to live on the surface with the love of his life. The difficulties of love and loss are universal issues that everyone can understand. Thanks go to Ms. Snyder for another incredible book, and one that is a keeper for my book self.

Reviewed by: Teresa