Against the Sky by Kat Martin

ALASKA
In America's last wilderness, there are no limits to what a man can do.
For detective Nick Brodie, that means keeping the perps off the streets of Anchorage 24/7. Nick has never backed down from danger, but after the horrors he's seen, he's definitely in need of a break.
Samantha Hollis never thought she'd meet anyone like Nick, especially in a place like Las Vegas. But after one reckless, passionate night, she discovers the charismatic stranger is everything she wants in a man. But can he ever be anything more than a one-night stand?
When Nick invites her to Alaska, Samantha decides to find out, never guessing the depths she'll discover in him or the tangle of murder, kidnapping, and danger about to engulf them both...

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Alaskan wilderness, fight against Russian mobsters, and against all the odds romance mixed into a fascinating story.
The characters were charming and attractive, but still a rather realistic group of people, with flaws, fails and problems. Nick and Samantha has the connection, and attraction, in Las Vegas, and can't forget each other after the fling. Meeting up again in Alaska, trying to get to know each other better, is not easy. They keep highlighting the differences between them constantly, ignoring the common facts, interests, and possibility of compromises. The feelings between them grow slowly, or at least they are slow to admit them to themselves. At times they both seem a bit shallow with their priorities. The one thing they are in agreement of, is the hot passion that is burning between them. The events of loss, sorrow, and danger bring them closer together, and they learn to function as a team, while fighting for justice against the Russian mobsters, and trying to solve a murder.
The suspense in the story builds up slowly, as they gather information and evidence of the crimes committed. But once the action gets going, the story intensifies, the tale gets more speed, and things get interesting.
I enjoyed the group dynamics of the story, the Alaskan wilderness, and the action towards the end of the tale. While the beginning of the book is a bit slow going, it also shows how the characters learn to interact with each other, grow and learn to compromise, as their feelings for each other deepens. While the book is part of a series, it is a stand-alone novel, though arising an interest to the rest of the series
~ Three spoons with a teaspoon on the side