Life is perfect for Zack Lennox. He’s got it made: fast car, fast women, and the best job on the planet – until he comes face to face with a tiny girl caught up in a child-smuggling ring. The moment he decides to rescue her, his perfect life of fun and games is at risk. He’s entered the world of the Black Dragon syndicate where evil men barter human flesh for cold hard cash.
He just doesn’t know it yet.
She's on a mission…
Life is anything but perfect for Mei Xing, a single mother searching for her kidnapped daughter, LiLi. When law enforcement proves worthless, she takes matters into her own hands and runs headlong into the handsome Agent Lennox. He’s cocky and self-assured. She’s fiercely determined to run over anyone who gets in her way. He’s just a man. How difficult could it be to dupe him into telling all he knows?
Growing up in the countryside of Wisconsin, I always wanted to be a writer. I've dabbled in poetry, short stories, and more daydreaming than most. Way back when, I remember long Sunday afternoon drives with my parents where they'd tell us eight kids to, 'Look out the window and see something!'
I've been looking out the window ever since . . .
In the great Northwest pines, I saw a woman who had nowhere to run find refuge in the arms of a tender warrior seeking his own road to healing. In the hills of Wyoming, I saw a broken man who thought he'd lost everything rediscover the man he was in the eyes of a pretty girl. And in the Dairy State, (yes Wisconsin), I saw two people fall in love and overcome horrific obstacles on their way to happily-ever-after.
Life is short. Pick up a good book. Read. Write. Enjoy. Look out the window and see something!
This is an entertaining, well-written, fast paced, intense, military romantic suspense novel. It is a real page turner with likable characters, intrigue, heartbreak and a heart-warming romance. Ms. Winters writes about the sad subject of a child ring with compassion and finesse. I have read and thoroughly enjoyed the first two entries in Ms. Winters' outstanding "In the Company of Snipers" series, which are better when read in order, as there are references to other characters, but can easily be enjoyed individually. I am looking forward to reading the other military heroes' stories in this series with great anticipation.
This book is nothing short of amazing!! The first two in this series were awesome too and I just kept thinking, ok there is no way every single book can be that good, but I was very wrong. Each one sends you on an emotional roller coaster and really packs a punch. This one had me holding my breath and waiting for the knot in my stomach to go away. You will fall in love with Zach just as you do Alex and Mark. As a mother, I sympathize with Mei and really understand her. She is willing to do ANYTHING to save her child. Zach and Mei are a great team. Ms. Winter's knows how to tug on your heart strings and keep you tied up through the whole book. I was hooked from page one and couldn't put it down until the very last page. I cried during the book and cried when it was done and had such a book hangover I couldn't read anything for days after. I will be reading every single book Ms. Winter's writes. This book deserves as many AMAZEBALLS stars as I can give it. Everyone needs to one-click this whole series now!!!
A gifted copy was given in exchange for an honest review. Review by Tabitha
Really well written, intense romantic suspense. Will definitely await the rest of the series. ( the woman on the cover looks more caucasian than asian to me..)
Zack (In the Company of Snipers, #3) by Irish Winters 5 out of 5 Stars Sempre Fi is the motto of Zack and his Marine brothers; it also fits Irish Winters and her amazing writing style, Always Faithful! Once again she has found that perfect balance of brokenness and solidarity, fear and hope, anguish and salvation, hate filled evil that corrodes your body and soul, and love that heals with its sweet gentle presence and confirms that goodness and justice prevail. I am still in awe of the world she has created and the magnitude of emotions she draws forth from her characters, from me as the reader, and just the subtle but continued pace at which she moves the story through such mind blowing topics as child trafficking and international crime rings. In Zack, Mei Xing watches her 6 year old daughter, LiLi, being abducted as she’s getting off the school bus. If this isn’t every parent’s nightmare, I don’t know what is. After following all of the normal avenues to get help, she comes to a dead end. However, she refuses to believe her daughter is gone and takes matters into her own hands even if it means breaking the law. This brings her into contact with Zack Lennox and his partner David, both agents of The TEAM. Upon first meeting Mei, Zack is less than impressed with her witchy behavior and her severe style of dress. Then when Alex, from book one, assigns him the task of “working with Mei” he starts to notice flaws in her identity as an ICE agent (Immigration and Customs Enforcement). Determined to find out what is going on he begins to see that she is truly invested in the missing children’s cases they are working on, but he can’t quite figure out why. When it becomes apparent that she’s a mother of a missing girl, he can’t help but be the man Ms. Winters always gives us. Honorable, thoughtful, respectful, men of worth and integrity, and sexy beyond compare: it sums up Zack and every man working for The TEAM. Sure not to disappoint Zack risks his life to find and protect the little girls involved in the child trafficking ring they are investigating, as well as to protect Mei and find her daughter LiLi. With all the time together Zack is prepared for a lot, but he isn’t prepared for the severe, witchy mother to get under his armor of control, nor is he prepared to fall in love and need her as much as she needs him. I have firmly decided I will read every book Ms. Winters publishes, in this series or not. She has truly become one of my favorite authors. As the wife of a former Army Soldier I not only appreciate her bringing recognition and positive light to our Service Men and Women, but I also love her brilliant writing and her complete commitment to great honest storytelling! *A complimentary copy was given in exchange for an honest review* Pepper, My Secret Book Spot
New author to me, Ms. Winters has me captured and bound to her world. *shakes fist at Vivian* Another book series I found whilst doing her challenges! Now I have to read this entire series. As if I don't have enough books.
Zack is a former sniper who works for a specialized security/retrieve firm. In his latest case, he's sidetracked when his stakeout brings to him a young Chinese girl instead of other stolen merchandise. This blows up to be a horrific Chinese child selling ring.
The premise of this is pretty good. Some of the execution was shaky. One had to suspend their disbelief when Mei tries to find her daughter. Mei is what brings it all to the attention of Zack and his company when she tries to find out more about the Chinese girl Zack saved. Mei lost her daughter to kidnappers and feels it is part of something larger. She impersonates a bunch of agencies to find out more information. That is where I'm not believing it. And, unless Mei was half Chinese and half white, I don't believe her daughter would have blue eyes. The genetics of it confounds me.
The actual culprits were easy to guess ahead of schedule. A loss in the story took my completely by surprise and I'm not too sure how I feel about it. The story moves in a good pace and I enjoy Ms. Winter's writing style. She is a good storyteller. The Chinese references in this story were actually decent. The translations for most of the names I could see. Although honestly, it would be odd to name a child LiLi because no one repeats the name like this. It is more plausible for the child to be named LiLi as a pet name. It is very common to take one of the child's Chinese characters and repeat it when addressing the child. Usually they grow out of it. It's been 40 years and my mother still calls me by her pet name for me. *sigh* So do most of my older cousins, aunts and uncles. *big sigh*
Recommended for romantic-suspense readers who enjoy happily ever afters. (And maybe for my friend Misty who likes interracial books. Zack is half Jamaican and Irish. mmmm Mei is Chinese.)
This is my first book by Irish Winters and I have to say I'm sold!
I was teary eyed and horrified within the first couple of pages. The fact that the stuff described there happens everyday, is terrifying to me.
Zack Lennox is living the life, great apartment, an amazing car, women falling at his feet, and a job he loves. You would think he lives a spoiled life, but from the beginning we see that this is an incredible human being. Yes, he has all the luxuries life has to offer, but he also has a kind heart. You can see this when we're introduced to his homeless friend who crashes at his house whenever he needs to.
Mei Xing is a single mother devoted to her daughter and who's life changes when her daughter is kidnapped. She will not stop until she finds her little girl and will do anything in her power to accomplish this.
Zack and Mei meet under the umbrella of uncertainty and fear. They don't particularly like each other from the get go but their relationship develops slowly making it more believable.
This book is full of action and kind hearted acts as well as a few gruesome and very sad moments, but they all keep you glued to the story.
I love the characters, I think the author did a great job developing them and I loved the brotherhood between the members of the team. I can not wait to read the first two books and learn more about Alex and Mark.
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I love this series. I just about started crying with the beginning of this book. My heart broke for Mei. To have your child stolen right in front of you and then having no one helping you to find your child, absolute heart break. I understood her motivation throughout this book. I would have done the same if my child had been stolen. Zack, I wasn’t too sure about him in the beginning. If you’ve read any of my reviews, you know I hate manwhores. I was really apprehensive about him because he seemed to be one. I’m so glad he turned out to be a pretty great guy. I loved that Zack wasn’t solely about the mission. He had a heart and did what needed to be done for others no matter the consequences. When Zack first saw Baby Song, I totally fell in love with him. Overall, another great book by Irish Winters. I really can’t wait for the next book. I so want Harley’s story. I’ve got a big soft spot for him.
I know the cover to the book would make you feel this book is just another romance type book. If that was the case, I would not rate it as high as I did because that is not what drew me to the book. It was the story within the book and the suspense involved that got me hooked. I had a tough time putting the book down. Truthfully the romance part was secondary. It was an awesome book just like her other two. Looking forward to Irish's 4th book in December.
OMG OMG OMG OMG !!! I am speechless! Amazing book , amazing story, amazing characters , secondary characters. This is the 3rd book in the series , but you wouldn't have known it . But now I am on a mission to get the first two books and read anything Ms Winters writes will be a automatic buy for me. You want a emotional , raw, action pack read? Then Zack is for you !
Zack, book three in the Snipers series. Yes, I cried again. Who wouldn't babies being taken, some found alive, some not. There were other reasons for tears. I always know the end will be happy. I always know I will love the story. Troy Duran is a great narrator for this book. I especially love his portrayal of Alex. The whole team gets involved in a child trafficking case. One unrelenting mother, Mae, isn't going to let her daughter fall through the cracks--and some terrible cracks they are. The end is always a surprise, always uplifting, and always makes you want to read or listen to the next book. I have most of the series. And will have it all eventually. I recently read Jake, book 16, and Zack's, story is where he is introduced. Nice timing. You'll always be surprised, fall in love with most if not all of the team, love their families and their heart. Ms. Winter's brings the pain and some insight into the returning patriot to civilian life. These guys aren't really civilians, not really military but a uniting of the two. Don't miss this emotional journey with Zack, Mae and whole team. Might want to bring some tissues, but you won't need too many. Thank you, Irish Winters, for another wonderful listening/reading experience.
The heroine seems like she’s a helicopter mother and I could understand why her daughter wanted a bit more room. It was interesting about the lengths she would go to to get her daughter back. However when she’s pushed she needs help and much of it. You could feel the motherly instinct within her.
When we meet our hero, you could tell he’s a bachelor and wants to stay that way. He’s only in it for the fast car, thrills of work and faster women. But when he falls, he falls big time and very fast. He considers our heroine nothing but a huge pain in the butt and then couldn’t understand why she was so secretive. However, once her story comes out it was understandable.
The plot was an interesting one and I like the different angle of the whole team working together to solve things. It was a huge shock when the team loses one of their own – wow! There were more than a few twists and turns in this one. You could feel the entire teams hurt when they lose their team member (you’ll have to read to find out more!).
I hope they keep on getting interesting like this one and the series keeps me curious to see what the next book brings.
Irish Winters has a winning series on her hands with these books! This third installment had me on the edge of my seat. After seeing a young Chinese girl rescued, Zack finds himself immersed in finding the reason they are being kidnapped. Mei's daughter has been taken and she will stop at nothing to find her. These two are put together to find the answers. But can they? Is the racket too big? How many will they find? And what will become of them? This book is amazing, had me completely invested in the outcome of the case. Mei is an incredible force, and I can relate to her feelings. She is fierce and determined. I can't believe her strength! Zack is a tough one, anger driven but level headed with a teddy bear heart. I couldn't help but love him. And I love having the crossover characters, seeing Alex and Kelsey again. It's intriguing, exciting and passionate, a great addition to the series.
Troy Duran enhances this series with his narration. I love his voice! He connects with the characters, and makes them real as we listen. The combination of the book and his performance keep me going back for more!
This is an incredible romantic suspense! Young Chinese/American girls were being kidnapped and sold around the world. As an agent of the TEAM, Zack wanted to put an end to this human trafficking syndicate. Running into Mei who will stop at nothing to find her kidnapped daughter (what mother wouldn't?) complicates things for him. Mei is so obnoxious at first that I was surprised when Zack became interested in her. I sure didn't see that romance coming.
Even though kidnapping the little girls was sad, there were a lot of sweet scenes that made me smile. This book has lots of twists that will keep you reading long past your bedtime. And you'll be surprised to find out who was behind the abductions.
I enjoyed this book with its lovely ending. It was well-written with well-developed characters. As always, Ms. Winters gave us a great story.
I loved this book so much. I never thought I would say I love a book that has so little sex in it, but all the other things, emotions the characters go trough just got to me. I loved the whole series. There is something about big army men reduced to mush when it comes to their women and the children that just makes me swoon. I am happy I decided to read this, because I was in such a book funk I didn't know what to do with myself, and this came in the right time. Even thinking about it makes me cry. My heart broke in some places, but in the end the author managed to put it back together again. and I loved every minute of this.
This is the third book in the amazing Series In The Company of Snipers, a Romantic Suspense. This Series has intertwined characters, which is great! This story is a great addition to the Series. Zack and Mei's story is very suspenseful, emotional, and heartbreaking! I love the happy ending. Zack is handsome, protective and caring. Mei is courageous, strong and caring. Now, I can't wait for the next book in the Series, Harley. Troy Duran did an outstanding job with the narration. I highly recommend it.
This one was heart-breaking, many times over. I'm glad it ended well, but I would have liked to see the man who stole Lili prosecuted for kidnapping. It was unsatisfying that they just stole her back and nothing further was done about it. Even if it happened off the page, it should have been mentioned.
And the saga continues..... in the company of snipers book three. Mark is the carefree bachelor caught in the web of a child smuggling ring. He has no idea how deep he is in when he starts touring the orphanages he’s captured, captivated and way over his head. He’s helping to find her daughter but finds his and himself.
First off when Mei entered the scene she was a determine mother who would dammed to fight for her child come high or hell water. So much deveit in this game of life.
Zack who has a heart of gold couldn't resist children fell hard for a child amongst the chaos of this hot mess. Following his gut he was determined.
I loved this story. I learn more about the characters with each new book. Zack and Mel's ordeal almost broke me, but with The Team at their backs I should have known the good guys would win. Get out the tissues. Try and still your heart. This story will test everything.
Zack was a warrior. An ex imagine sniper that was lost and needed to find a way back from the war that in hid mind. The TEAM was the way to tame him, but Me I was the way home. Read what the tangle of missions and the love of a good women can do to help this soldier!
I was caught by the plot from the beginning. I fell in love with Mei and Zack cried with them and celebrated with them. The entire company of brothers is a family that continues to grow.
Absolutely loved this story, so sad when reading about the children, but the agents done well with their family Well done on a book well written , you are new to me Irish , and I am stoked. Now for number 4 in the series A must read
Ok first off I love this series the characters and storylines are great. This book however left me feeling a little disappointed, not with the story as it was great and had me on the edge of my seat at times. The problem I had was with the romance between the two main characters, it seemed to come out of nowhere with no chemistry between them and maybe because the plotline was so intense there just didn't seem to be any build of feeling between them. One minute there was nothing but dislike (Zack even stated he did not think Mei was even that attractive) then suddenly she was the love of his life!! Maybe it was just me and I missed the undertones but their relationship just seemed forced and convenient for the story. Saying that I still loved the plot and the suspense was great. Still a 4 star read for me
I honestly don't know how to rate this one. The premise of the plot was awesome - (child trafficking) and the story itself ran me through the whole range of emotions (it even had me in tears at some points).
What I struggled with (besides all the editing mistakes of missing words etc) was the relationship between Zack and Mei. Mei didn't come across as a very nice person. At. All. And yet, all of a sudden they are in love with each other?!?! Zack didn't even like Mei!!
The writing style is also very 'flowery'. Lots of emotive words and phrases.
I've got the next three books on my kindle. I've been wanting to read Harley from the start. After him, not sure if I will continue.