Play Dirty

The Bounty Hunters #1

by Lorie O'Clare

Heartthrob bounty hunter Greg King knows how to work it—and he knows that he can have any woman he wants. But there's more to Greg than meets the eye…and he's still haunted by the memory of his beautiful, estranged wife. Much as he's tried to move on, he's never been able to stopstopped wondering why Haley left him. Or what he could have done to make their marriage better—and make her stay…After putting a vicious criminal behind bars, Haley King had no choice but to leave her loved ones behind and enter the witness protection program. Turns out that, in her new life, Haley has once again found herself in serious trouble—and needs help from the only person she can her husband. Now, as old secrets threaten to tear them apart and danger closes in from all sides, it's up to Greg to keep Haley safe…and convince her that this time, he's playing for keeps.

Genres: Romance, Romantic Suspense, Contemporary Romance, Contemporary, Suspense, Adult, Erotica

412 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 11, 2010

About the author

Lorie O'Clare is an American author of erotic romance, romantic suspense and paranormal romance novels.
The anthology Men of Danger, which featured her story “Love Me 'til Death,” was a New York Times bestseller.
Also writes under the pen name Laurie Fitzgerald.

Reviews

[Shawna · Rating 2 out of 5]

2 stars – Romantic Suspense

I won't waste my time on a full review because I'm already frustrated over the hours that I've lost by reading this.

Previously I'd only read Lorie O'Clare's story Love Me ‘Til Death in the Men of Danger anthology, which I liked and rated 4 stars.

I thought this first book in her new Bounty Hunters series sounded promising, especially with the studtastic biker hunk on the cover. Unfortunately, nothing about Play Dirty really worked that well for me. Not the characters, story, action, suspense, romance, or writing. It just never held my attention, and I found it rather dullsville. I actually skimmed through parts of the story to get through it.

And the biker cover stud looks much younger than the hero, 45-year-old bounty hunter Greg King. Not that there's anything wrong with a hero in his 40's. My husband is 44, so I'm not age discriminating here, okay? But the cover is misleading. So considering that the rest of the book is disappointing as well, buying a book mainly for the cover hotness really let me down this time.

*Now I'm off to look for my receipt.*

[Amy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Move over "The Dog" there's a new bounty hunter in town. And while he's big, broad and all alpha male, his overall impression left little to be desired for this reader. Play Dirty is the first installment of the bounty hunter series by Lorie O'Clare and unfortunately one that left me flat and frustrated.

Greg King, former police officer, now bounty hunter, thrives on the adventures his profession brings. Catching a criminal runs through his blood like being high on a drug and now both his sons Marc and Jake crave the same action the job brings. All three work together for King Fugitive Apprehension, a private investigative service founded by Greg. While on a routine stakeout for the latest criminal, Greg sees a woman down the street in the shadows who looks like his wife. He immediately knows it’s her, but does not know why she is there at the scene. Haley King (a.k.a. Hannah McDowell) left her husband Greg and their two boys after testifying as the key witness against a major drug lord (Perry Pierre). Without telling her family about her departure, she entered the Witness Protection Program, left Los Angeles and took on her new persona in Nebraska as a private investigator for Payton Investigative Services. Her boss and mentor John Payton has suspiciously gone missing at the same time Perry Pierre dies in prison. Now that Pierre is dead, Haley is back in LA after not having any contact with her family for six years.

This was my first read of Ms. O'Clares and while I had high expectations going in (particularly with such a hot cover), I was frustrated throughout the book. While I like the concept of a fiction based life of a bounty hunter, Play Dirty had a very unbelievable storyline. Ms. O'Clare tries to create a story of a loving husband and wife (former high school sweethearts) who are dedicated to each other and their two teenage sons. However, I found this entire plot hard to believe for several reasons. First, Greg and the boys (now men) were quick to accept Haley back into their lives. They almost treated her six-YEAR absence as if she'd only been gone for six-HOURS. As the reader, I struggled with the mentality that this was just a regular part of the job to leave your family for six years and them be okay with it. Second, it was unrealistic to me that both Greg and Haley knew exactly where the other one was during her absence, but did not contact the other or work out some way to be together. I was not convinced that Greg could keep tabs on Haley and her new life and not be endangering himself and the boys. Otherwise, why not join her in the Witness Protection Program to keep the family unity they both claimed to want. Third, Haley's actions and words seemed to directly contradict any semblance of dedication she had to her family.

"Why didn't you tell Dad?" Jake asked.
"Because he would have stopped me, or intervened, or forbidden me to keep working. I knew what I was doing was dangerous and I was hooked. There was no way he was going to take me away from my first bust."

To me, it was obvious in the above quote that the thrill of the hunt was the most important thing to Haley. She chose the love of her job over her husband, her children and her life as she knew it. She made it clear that while she hated giving up her family and identity for six years, she would do it again in a heart beat to take down a major criminal. I simply cannot relate to this thought process and never would give up a life I made with a husband and children that I claimed to deeply love for a profession or "rush".

Also, though Haley and Greg were high school sweethearts and married almost two decades, I never felt a true emotional connection between them. Their sexual moments seemed quick and detached - more of a "friends with benefits" feel and not really connecting in the intimacy of the moment or with each other which left me asking why was this couple even married when their deepest connection was to their profession. This leads me to the continued fight for control between Haley and Greg that grew very tiresome as well. Haley was constantly trying to prove to Greg that she was his professional equal. She wanted him to trust her at the helm in giving the orders when she had all the information. Greg was constantly trying to take the lead in the decision making and also assert the "alpha role" of dominance and protection of his woman.

While Play Dirty provided some suspense, it was a flat attempt and didn't have me on the edge of my seat like I expected. The informant and the villain were predictable as well as the ending. Also the easy acceptance of Haley's choice in leaving her family and the reasons behind it left a bitter taste in my mouth throughout the story. The overall family dynamics and lack of emotional depth definitely hindered my overall enjoyment of the story and left me questioning whether I will continue in the series.

[Mandi · Rating 1 out of 5]

Couldn't finish this one. The relationship between the hero and heroine after they are reunited was making no sense. I also thought for touting themselves as such good private investigators, they didn't investigate a certain someone I think will end up a baddie.

[Cheryl · Rating 5 out of 5]

Six years ago, Haley King testified against one of Los Angeles biggest drug lords, Pedro Gutierrez and that is when her life change. She entered the Witness Protection Program. Now, fast forward to the present. Haley’s boss John has gone missing. Haley turns to the one person she knows she can trust and relay on…her husband, Greg.

Greg and his two grown sons, Marc and Jake run a bounty hunting business. Greg never imagined that he would see Haley again. Well not in the flesh anyways. There hasn’t been a day that has gone by that Greg hasn’t thought of Haley. Now that Haley has returned, Greg doesn’t plan to let her leave again. That is if Greg can keep both him and Haley alive. The same person who is involved with John’s disappearance is after Haley.

Play Dirty is the first book in The Bounty Hunters. A brand new series from author, Lorie O’Clare. I got to tell you that if the rest of the books in this series are as fabulous as Play Dirty, then readers are in for a yummy treat. Greg and Haley scorched the pages of this book together. They showed that when you are in love that the sparks never leave. Greg is exactly the type of man I picture when the words bounty hunter appears. There was a nice balance between action and romance in this book. If you are looking for something to occupy yourself for a few hours other then housework, then you have got to reward yourself with reading Play Dirty. You won’t regret it! I can’t wait to read Get Lucky, the next Bounty Hunter novel.

[Aquit · Rating 1 out of 5]

The author certainly have a fetish with huge muscles, abs, and asses. I think she could go on for ages describing a man's body and make it sound dirty. Really dirty.

I was bored with the book before the half-way mark. Haley got on my nerves too much for me to like her. She kept telling Greg to treat her like his equal but all her actions says the opposite. She acted really immature for someone who's been in the business of hunting bad guys/killers for years.

And, the sex scenes did nothing for me. Nada. Ok, I lied. One of the sex scene had me in tears.

He thrust deeper and deeper. Her heat scorched him alive. Haley's soft gasps added to the intensity of the moment. She loved what he did to her, how much she could feet his love for her.

I don't know why but that mistake had me rolling on the floor laughing. Maybe it's the lack of sleep.

[Michelle · Rating 1 out of 5]

I totally agree with the person's review that said, "Reading this book was a little like listening to a boring old relative tell you a LOOOOONG story."

I couldn't get into this book at all. The H/h were supposed to be mid-40s,and yet she came across like a 20-year-old. The internal dialogue (will he take me back, we'll still have the argument over my job, he'll always want to protect her, he's so muscular and bigger than she remembered, that last big fight was SO bad, etc) became so tedious, and I didn't even make it a quarter of the way through the book. It was boring and monotonous and the writing was choppy and completely lacked creativity. I lost interest with the sons, too, as reading about early 20-somethings really does nothing for me.

[DaniSays · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book took me less then 24 hours to read, for all the wrong reasons. Unfortunately I should have listened to the old saying "never judge a book by its cover" because was I disappointed. Oh how this author murdered her cover. I thought heres a book with a badass man who's going to save the day. Well I was wrong. First off the age difference between cover and characters were way off. The dialogue in the story seemed too forced and fake and my god could you have a more boring plot! I'm sorry to say I skimmed so much in the book just to get to the few steamy parts and the climax and end. It's just such a drag, books have really been disappointing me lately, sorry to say. Not such a good read.

[Michelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had high hopes for this one but it fell a little flat. It jumped around a lot, plot threads where dropped, others weren't explored at all. I was screaming at them to investigate a person cause it was so damn obvious they were behind it or partially so. The next books may be interesting as they are centred on the son's of the couple in this book. I was screaming at them to grow up! I found it really hard to relate to the Heroine, you couldn't get me to voluntarily leave my Hubby or kids for anything, not a chance in h*ll!

It's probably 2.5 Stars to be honest.

[Robin *loves sexy books* · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was ok. It seemed to have a lot of potential but I think the story ended up so convoluted and there were too many moving parts that it just didn't seem to flow very well. I liked all the characters though and the premise seems good. A hottie bounty hunter and his 2 hottie bounty hunter sons. There is a book coming out in April about the son Marc, I'll have to decide if I'm going to read that one. Not sure yet.

[Neil · Rating 5 out of 5]

And dirty they do play. I found this gem in the lending library at a hotel in northern Ohio, and holy Toledo does it deliver. The bounty hunter is manly, unwavering, has six pack abs, and the dong from the final scene of Boogie Nights. And he misses his ex madly. When his ex suddenly needs protection he snaps at the chance to be her knight in glistening chest hair. Their reunion has more throbbing than the engine room scene from Titanic. She, wearing an expensive thong that she begs him not to rip, nevertheless has her pants around her stripper heels and comes at him backward like a cat in heat. He obliges and the author uses every synonym for pounding to be found in the best of online thesauri. I had to leave this literature at the hotel when I checked out. I was wary of bringing something this powerful into my own home.

[Helen Williams · Rating 4 out of 5]

Greg King runs a bounty hunting company (KFA) with his two sons and his niece. His estranged wife Haley went into the witness protection program after putting a violent criminal behind bars. She created a new life in order to protect her family. But with her new life she finds herself in serious trouble again and the only person she feels she can trust to help her is her husband. Reuniting with Greg will stir up old secrets that could tear them apart again.

[Alex (HEABookNerd)]

DNF @ 10%

Personal preference but I don't like the setup for while Haley left Greg and her kids. In this case she testified against a crime lord and went into the Witness Protection Program and while my mind knows that's super noble my heart hates that she did that to her family. Anyway, I'd rather just DNF then keep reading something I know I won't like.

[Chana · Rating 1 out of 5]

Poorly written and poorly edited. In my opinion, the book didn't have much going for it as either a romance or a thriller. The plot was disjointed, the romance was childish and unrealistic, the cover art was untrue to the story and besides, who rides a motorcycle without a shirt?

[Megan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really good book!!

[Jodi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am enjoying the bodyguard series. I love older hero with grown sons story as well.

[TinaMarie · Rating 4 out of 5]

He's a bounty hunter and she has been in Witness Protection for the past six years.

[Brittany Moore · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good book . Slow moving in the beginning . I liked it and I’m glad I read it but , wouldn’t recommend

[Paige · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall, this was a really great read. I just have a few minor issues with Play Dirty.

Greg King was a cop turned Bounty Hunter, he was married, he had 2 sons. He had a pretty good life right? Well that changed 6 years ago when he discovered his wife was working under cover and was sending one of the biggest drug lords on the street to jail. The catch? The only way to keep him there though was for to testify then go into Witness Protection.

Never big on wanting Haley to having anything to do with his line of work, this caused many arguments over whether she should or not. Looking at the bigger picture, Haley knows she doesn't have a choice. She testifies and is put into protection that afternoon.

Which is where my first problem comes in at. I didn't just love Greg's double standard about Haley working with him. She's smart, loyal, and had a real dedication to the work. She even told him she was studying to do what he did, but he never took her seriously. I think I guy like Greg King should have been one of the last men to be a victim of being sexist.

So, Haley is gone for 6 years. During that time, she begins a new life under the name Hannah. She goes to work with a private investigator John Payton. They form a respectable bond and Haley learns more from him than what Greg would teach her. She did try to keep up to date with her family if she could. Greg on the other hand was obsessed. He makes it his mission to find Haley and upon learning her location and who her boss was, he allowed her to stay without her knowing he was keeping a close eye on her.

Problem number 2. What hot blooded male would let his wife, whom he loves to walk away from him, finds her and lets her stay away? We're not talking a few weeks, but 6 freaking years! Not too realistic, especially since Greg is so protective and I don't want to say controlling, but to a degree he is.

Right as Haley learns the man she testified against had died, her boss, John goes missing. Now that she can return home, she does in hopes that Greg can help her find him.

Problem number 3, the reunion. Okay, this woman, despite the reasons, left her husband and two sons ages 17 and 19 at the time. No contact for 6 years, yet when she returns she's welcomed back no questions asked. Sure she explains why to her 'boys' that she left, but my gosh, no anger or resentment at all?

Getting off that subject, it’s clear that Greg and Haley have much to work through. Although he feels he hasn't changed, he can clearly see and hear that Haley has. Working for John as given her that field work taste and now she demands he see her as his partner is both marriage and work.

Unfortunately they don't get much time to discuss their new roles before the case surrounding John pulls them into work.

Problem number 4, the mystery plot. Okay, so we all know I'm not a mystery genre reader. I felt this complicated plot took away from the romance of these two people who had been apart for 6 years. I'm still not completely sure what the whole bad guy thing was about.

The whole thing was above my head and I wish there had been a simpler one. Not that there weren't good things that came from this in depth plot. Like Greg getting to see Haley working and finally coming to the conclusion that she's great at the job he tried to keep her from. Marc and Jake were a part of the plot and were nice to read about. So yes, good things came from the mystery plot.

Unfortunately, Greg didn't make it out of said plot unscratched. And after spending about a week in the hospital recovery from a gunshot wound, he's sent home to recover.

Once he is, Haley find him working on his motorcycle. After agreeing to be 100% partners, they take off together.

[Judith · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 out of 5. Having read and reviewed a number of Lorie O'Clare novels I was interested in this first novel in her Bounty Hunter series. My initial exposure to her writing was via paranormal romance so this was quite a change of pace. That being said, I found this to be a very fine example of her writing skills and her story telling abilities. Obviously any novel with three hunky guys is of interest but I found Greg King to be a curious mixture of qualities and one that was fascinating throughout the novel. While his wife Haley is characterized in the blurbs as "estranged" I am not convinced that is an accurate characterization. That she chose to be in the Witness Protection Program could conceivably be construed as a way of leaving husband and home, but her choice grew out of her need to protect Greg and her sons. That it was six years apart had an interesting effect on their relationship. Both were changed by the experience and finding their way back to one another while dealing with these new expressions of their personalities, career goals, and relational expectations was the undercurrent that flowed throughout the book. I found that the tension that kept the story fresh and alive did not wane anywhere in the novel. And all the main characters were people of honor and integrity while exhibiting a delightful mix of fun and serious purpose. Just a really fine piece of writing and a story well worth reading.

[Brandy · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is the first time I've read Lorie O'Clare and though I wasn't super thrilled with the book I will give her another chance. I've heard great things about her other stories, The Leopard and Lunewulf series.

As for PLAY DIRTY, while I was intrigued by the concept and was excited to read about bounty hunters, I was left feeling confused and at some times bored with what was going on. I had a hard time with the emotional connection or better yet the lack of, between Haley and her me. There were times when it felt like I was missing something as the story jumped to another scene. And I can't believe they didn't investigate Samantha Wilson. They didn't remember her from high school but took her at her word on who she was. The guys had access to all sorts of resources, check the bimbo out. The suspense didn't carry through for me either. I wasn't propelled to keep reading until I found out what was going on. There was no edge of the seat, need to find out immediately feeling.

I also had to keep reminding myself that Haley and Greg were older than they came off as. The next two books, I believe, will be about the sons who are 23 and 25. Their parents acted like they were the same age.

[Michelle Tempted By Books · Rating 2 out of 5]

The first in her Bounty Hunters Series, Play Dirty is about; Greg King and his estranged wife, Haley. She left her family 6 years ago to enter the witness protection program only to find that now they are the only ones who can help her now. I found the back story heart breaking so I was invested there and while I found that the action was plenty full I felt that it either drag along or made leaps which I found frustrating to say the least. Greg King is a very likable character and I enjoyed that he grew through out the tale to become a much more understanding husband. Haley on the other hand just never really grew. I found her intelligence and understanding of her job inspiring but over all I just felt she was rather selfish and made no real efforts to improve the relationship with her family. But personal feeling aside the story itself was well written and had all the right ingredients but just didn’t really pop for me.

Perhaps I will give this series another shot soon and see if it improves.

[Sharon Kurtz · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book surprised me in that it is about an 'older' couple and their reconciliation (for lack of a better word). Haley King (Hannah) is separated from her bounty hunter husband, Greg, and two sons Marc and Jake because she investigated and testified against a drug lord after which she entered the Witness Protection Program. She returns to her husband in L.A. six years later, in trouble because her boss had disappeared. The story takes the family to Tijuana on the trail of an assassin.
I kept getting the feeling that this story needed something more. I found it hard to believe that a woman married for 17 years to an alpha hero would disappear for 6 years w/o a word to her husband or sons. I also find it hard to believe that a woman in her mid 40's and a man pushing 50 are supposed to be built like the author says they are. The story was good but some parts were vague and others unbelievable. I will read the next two books in the series only because I already have them but I doubt I will look for more from this author.

[Beth · Rating 3 out of 5]

Greg King owns his own bounty hunting business with his two sons. His wife. Haley, left them six years ago after entering into the Witness Protection Program when she testified against a drug dealer. Haley wanted to become a licensed private detective against Greg's wishes, and he was furious that she went undercover to expose the drug dealer. Days after the drug dealer dies in prison, Haley's boss turns up missing, and she thinks there is a connection. The only person she believes in and trusts is Greg, so she goes home hoping that she can find her boss and salvage her marriage.

It was a good mystery, and there are two more books in the series. It wasn't an awesome book, but I think it's worth getting the other two in the series, which I assume will be about each of their sons. The writing was good.

[Tiss · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, if you like action and suspense, this is a good read. It is the first book in Lorie's new series - Bounty Hunters. I liked the action and the romance (HOT sex). It kept me turning the pages. I had a hard time putting it down and am anxiously awaiting the next book. You had a hard time figuring out who might or might not be the bad guys, or who was involved it what. I liked that Greg kept an eye on his wife, even though she was gone for six years. That they could work things out and become a family again. I like a protective man and Greg and his sons were all of that.

Thanks Lorie!!!

[Debbie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the first book of THE BOUNTY HUNTERS series. This is also a NEW to me author. The hero and heorione were married and older. Both 45 yrs old. They also have 2 adult sons. Greg, who is the hero is a bounty hunter and his wife Haley, has just reappeared after being away from him and their sons for 6 yrs because she's been in the Witness Protection program because she testified against an major drug dealer and helped put him behind bars. But now, she's back home and is in trouble and needs Greg's help.

I really enjoyed this story. I was surprised to find out that the hero and heroine were both older with grown children. I really enjoyed that.

[Glenda Bettin · Rating 5 out of 5]

WOW glad I didn't read the reviews before buying this book, brutal ! I LOVED this book and look forward to the others. Awesome reading !I had read Get Lucky without realizing it was the 2nd book so already liked the series and was really cool going back and reading the 1st and getting the background about his parents, etc. I had read the FBI books and liked them so knew this would be good. I give big thumbs up to this series, 5 stars and them some ! I loved the fact a lady can kick ass just as well as a man, lol

[Hope · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 Stars

This book deserves more than 3 stars, but 4 is too much.
The blurb and the cover are a little misleading, Greg is 45 years old.
I don't mind it, but I think it should be mentioned.
Greg and Haley have 2 sons, the oldest is 25. Both work with their father.
They were married quite a while before she left. They were high school sweethearts.
I liked them together, but I don't understand why she left the way she did.
It was a nice book, and I don't regret reading it either, but I also wouldn't recommend it.

[Lynn · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had a lot of trouble with this series. Dog the Bounty Hunter kept cropping up in my mind and I just couldn't get past that. In this book, I had trouble with the fact that the mother left the family years ago for reasons that she thought were important, but never contacted the family in any way to let them know she was okay. For years they thought she was dead, but when she comes back into their lives, she is accepted again without much resistance or reservation. That put me off on the whole series.

[Briana · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a very interesting book plot wise & I thought the characters were perfect. Lorie O'Clare does an excellent job of delving into the main characters' inner thoughts to the point they feel very real to the reader but without throwing in a lot of unnecessary thoughts or flashbacks. She also did a great job at detailing some of the differences you would expect a husband and wife to have to face after being apart for six years.

[Tracey · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this book! I love that the female lead is an older woman with grown sons and yet she is still a hot mama who can hold her own against the bad guys. I also loved the re-connection between Greg and Haley King. Even though neither is perfect and they both have hurt each other in the past (before Haley goes into witness protection), and after over twenty years of marriage the love and attraction is still burning between them, they are "soul mates".