I stumbled upon Elle a while back through two Anthologies and I REALLY wanted to try more by her. Maybe starting with Dreamspun Desires wasn't the best idea as these tend to be less "sophisticated". I liked the idea behind this one, and I think, as a series, it holds promise but all in all it was quite disappointing. The romance was flat, with no real issues / difficulties, taking place in a rather short period of time. The mystery was the best part, though I'm not sure what I feel about the way it was resolved.
Karl Radin was born and raised in Alaska and he loves his job on the Coast Guard Rescue teams. He knows his job and feel capable but after losing his partner he is a bit weary of getting another "fresh" one. Dan looks like a promising prospect but he behaves a bit strange which makes it a difficult for Karl to trust him fully (which he needs considering the high risk in their job).
Dan Farnsworth came to Alaska and the Coase Guard Rescue team for one and only reason - to find out what happened to his brother - Axe Neal. A strong swimmer, better than him, he can't believe he simply drowned. His first prospect is ex-partner (and now his own partner) - Karl, but after seeing him in action it's obvious to Dan he couldn't be behind anything nefarious. All the other girls and gals at the station are pretty nice an accepting which makes it easy to build a connection, but it doesn't make his "job" of finding the truth easier.