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The Contention Series #1
Contention
When associate attorney Kara Hayes wakes up in a hospital bed on Saturday night, the last thing she wants to hear from detectives is that she’s possibly a victim of assault. That, and they think she's a prostitute. All Kara knows is that she's not a victim. She pushes the very notion away into a mental box with all her other bad memories that she doesn’t care to entertain.
Only, this dark memory that she doesn’t recall won’t let her be.
When she’s put on a high-profile case with one of the named partners at her firm, their opposing counsel throws her life off-balance. He looks at Kara like he knows a dirty secret and she doesn’t understand why.
That is, until he corners her in a bar alone later that night and tries to buy her silence with a smirk on his perfect face.
This is not a love story. Kara doesn’t believe in love and a man like Nicholas Havenwood-Calais is the worst sort of self-harm she can imagine. What he wants is far worse.
**WARNING: This book is for sale to ADULT AUDIENCES ONLY. It contains sexually explicit scenes and graphic language which may be considered offensive to some readers. There are extremely dark themes inside of this work of fiction, including, but not limited to: mentions of suicide, past abuse, issues with mental health, themes of dubious consent, and nonconsent fantasies. Do not read if any of the above are triggering.
Only, this dark memory that she doesn’t recall won’t let her be.
When she’s put on a high-profile case with one of the named partners at her firm, their opposing counsel throws her life off-balance. He looks at Kara like he knows a dirty secret and she doesn’t understand why.
That is, until he corners her in a bar alone later that night and tries to buy her silence with a smirk on his perfect face.
This is not a love story. Kara doesn’t believe in love and a man like Nicholas Havenwood-Calais is the worst sort of self-harm she can imagine. What he wants is far worse.
**WARNING: This book is for sale to ADULT AUDIENCES ONLY. It contains sexually explicit scenes and graphic language which may be considered offensive to some readers. There are extremely dark themes inside of this work of fiction, including, but not limited to: mentions of suicide, past abuse, issues with mental health, themes of dubious consent, and nonconsent fantasies. Do not read if any of the above are triggering.
360 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 16, 2020
39 people are currently reading
340 people want to read
About the author
Asha Everly
4 books47 followersMuse driven writer, passionate reader, and a lover of all things fantastical and mysterious. Loves her romance dark, full of teeth, and crimson passion.
She loves a villain more than she loves a hero and often times her stories will reflect that devious quirk (defect?) in her brain.
When she's not writing, she's reading, being with her family, walking her werewolf. Sometimes, the only place you can find her is leaping over fences on horseback, the wind in her face.
Everyone has a dark side. What's yours?
She loves a villain more than she loves a hero and often times her stories will reflect that devious quirk (defect?) in her brain.
When she's not writing, she's reading, being with her family, walking her werewolf. Sometimes, the only place you can find her is leaping over fences on horseback, the wind in her face.
Everyone has a dark side. What's yours?
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews
September 2, 2025
Hey so I stayed up until 4 AM to finish this and it was completely worth it.
Holy shit this was FANTASTIC. Exactly what I needed! Thanks Clarice for recommending this! The pacing was excellent. I was intrigued by the story of the lawyer case, and the sensual factor was a constant simmer (you won't notice that there is no physical intercourse until about 41%). At turns, funny and even poetic. And of course, hot.
The beginning is reminiscent of Deathsdoll's If I Can't Have You where our heroine Kara is a junior associate passionate about her corporate job (she is a lawyer here), but can be an anxious over-thinker. After a nonconsensual encounter, she begins to question her grip on reality, especially with her alcohol and pill addiction flaring up to cope. The hero is similarly into realistic CNC, however Nicholas is the definition of "give us nothing" trust fund baby. That they only used each other and then did "some normal stuff" (his words), and even that ending... I would be telling her to RUN. But oh my god was he scrumptious, and I get it.
I loved Kara and Nicholas. Kara has a lot of anger issues due to her shit dad, and it's this that makes her so funny/real/relatable. A lot of times, women aren't shown to be angry or it's the cold anger. I just don't find that realistic because we women can have foul potty mouths, foot-in-mouth syndromes, and random anger flare-ups. This is the angry girlies.
She does have a lot of daddy issues, and she certainly is aware of her attraction to Nicholas is related to that, but also it's clear she also likes him too. I'm not always interested in reading about this stuff because I find it predictable, at times, but by the end of the novel, I trusted and loved everything Asha Everly did.
One of the funniest things is Kara's instinctual thoughts, such as her constant glazing of Dieter... before she realizes how insane of a spoiled rich brat he is. The limo scene when she first meets him as she sits beside Nicholas, and she can't stop checking him out. I also love how Kara's reads on Nicholas' tells and also how she checks him out halfway through a heated conversation. It's so relatable LOL.
I also liked that her friend, Bianca, wasn't dropped from the plot entirely. I'm glad that she showed up to Kara's apartment for a "come to Jesus" moment.
In the second book, I am really looking forward to understanding why Nicholas and Dieter are frenemies and how Kara and Nicholas will end up together. I'm not going to lie. Because they were a hot mess together, I want a safe and complete HEA for these kids, and I'm very curious how that will happen.
PS I put this under hero is a stuffy duke shelf not because he is a stuffy duke, but because he is giving that. A lot of the banter early on, he basically insults her in a blueblood way that she's a little slow and foulmouthed lol.
Holy shit this was FANTASTIC. Exactly what I needed! Thanks Clarice for recommending this! The pacing was excellent. I was intrigued by the story of the lawyer case, and the sensual factor was a constant simmer (you won't notice that there is no physical intercourse until about 41%). At turns, funny and even poetic. And of course, hot.
The beginning is reminiscent of Deathsdoll's If I Can't Have You where our heroine Kara is a junior associate passionate about her corporate job (she is a lawyer here), but can be an anxious over-thinker. After a nonconsensual encounter, she begins to question her grip on reality, especially with her alcohol and pill addiction flaring up to cope. The hero is similarly into realistic CNC, however Nicholas is the definition of "give us nothing" trust fund baby. That they only used each other and then did "some normal stuff" (his words), and even that ending... I would be telling her to RUN. But oh my god was he scrumptious, and I get it.
I loved Kara and Nicholas. Kara has a lot of anger issues due to her shit dad, and it's this that makes her so funny/real/relatable. A lot of times, women aren't shown to be angry or it's the cold anger. I just don't find that realistic because we women can have foul potty mouths, foot-in-mouth syndromes, and random anger flare-ups. This is the angry girlies.
She does have a lot of daddy issues, and she certainly is aware of her attraction to Nicholas is related to that, but also it's clear she also likes him too. I'm not always interested in reading about this stuff because I find it predictable, at times, but by the end of the novel, I trusted and loved everything Asha Everly did.
One of the funniest things is Kara's instinctual thoughts, such as her constant glazing of Dieter... before she realizes how insane of a spoiled rich brat he is. The limo scene when she first meets him as she sits beside Nicholas, and she can't stop checking him out. I also love how Kara's reads on Nicholas' tells and also how she checks him out halfway through a heated conversation. It's so relatable LOL.
I also liked that her friend, Bianca, wasn't dropped from the plot entirely. I'm glad that she showed up to Kara's apartment for a "come to Jesus" moment.
In the second book, I am really looking forward to understanding why Nicholas and Dieter are frenemies and how Kara and Nicholas will end up together. I'm not going to lie. Because they were a hot mess together, I want a safe and complete HEA for these kids, and I'm very curious how that will happen.
PS I put this under hero is a stuffy duke shelf not because he is a stuffy duke, but because he is giving that. A lot of the banter early on, he basically insults her in a blueblood way that she's a little slow and foulmouthed lol.
December 12, 2024
3.5 stars
This book answers the question what if Fifty Shades of Grey and Law and Order SVU had a very dark screwed up trauma baby. I'm not going to lie, this entire book is so toxic and trauma filled it actually made be uncomfortable at times, but it's so well written that I almost finished it in one sitting.
I don't want to say much, as I might spoil the entire book, but Kara and Nic's relationship is pretty much part hate s@X and part consensual - nonconsensual. They don't really show any feelings for one another through-out the book, so If you're looking for a romance do not read this book. However, if you are looking for two trauma babies who don't know how to love bc they never were shown love this is 100% the book for you. Also the s@x is really, really hot.
Also Dieter is one of my top favorite villains of all time that I've read in a book. He's nuts, beautiful, wealthy, a total psycho and fricken hilarious. I totally lost it at one point where yeet'd a guy over his boat and Kara was like "fricken, for real man?!", and then she had to lawyer her way-out of him getting sent to jail for it. I mean the guy is a bad dude and totally/probably behind "The Room", but he has his moments. I almost just want a book about him.
This book is supposed to be part of a duology. but the second book has so far not been published, it's been 3 years, so it falls into the "possibly abandoned" category. I did check out the authors Archive of Our Own page, Ashsa_Everly, and looked at the comments under the listing for the sample of this book that she has on there. Based off of the replies she made to the comments posted on the sample, the reason why she didn't write/publish the sequel for this yet is that she started a new job after she published this book that didn't allow her to self-publish (make money outside of her job). She's since left that position as of late last year, and that she will return to writing. I didn't see anything about her giving a date though on when the sequel will be or if it ever will be published. Basically ,though read this book at your own risk as it leaves off on a cliffhanger.
Update 12/12/24:
The sequel Dissension was released on 12/10/24 to Kindle Unlimited
This book answers the question what if Fifty Shades of Grey and Law and Order SVU had a very dark screwed up trauma baby. I'm not going to lie, this entire book is so toxic and trauma filled it actually made be uncomfortable at times, but it's so well written that I almost finished it in one sitting.
I don't want to say much, as I might spoil the entire book, but Kara and Nic's relationship is pretty much part hate s@X and part consensual - nonconsensual. They don't really show any feelings for one another through-out the book, so If you're looking for a romance do not read this book. However, if you are looking for two trauma babies who don't know how to love bc they never were shown love this is 100% the book for you. Also the s@x is really, really hot.
Also Dieter is one of my top favorite villains of all time that I've read in a book. He's nuts, beautiful, wealthy, a total psycho and fricken hilarious. I totally lost it at one point where yeet'd a guy over his boat and Kara was like "fricken, for real man?!", and then she had to lawyer her way-out of him getting sent to jail for it. I mean the guy is a bad dude and totally/probably behind "The Room", but he has his moments. I almost just want a book about him.
This book is supposed to be part of a duology. but the second book has so far not been published, it's been 3 years, so it falls into the "possibly abandoned" category. I did check out the authors Archive of Our Own page, Ashsa_Everly, and looked at the comments under the listing for the sample of this book that she has on there. Based off of the replies she made to the comments posted on the sample, the reason why she didn't write/publish the sequel for this yet is that she started a new job after she published this book that didn't allow her to self-publish (make money outside of her job). She's since left that position as of late last year, and that she will return to writing. I didn't see anything about her giving a date though on when the sequel will be or if it ever will be published. Basically ,though read this book at your own risk as it leaves off on a cliffhanger.
Update 12/12/24:
The sequel Dissension was released on 12/10/24 to Kindle Unlimited
February 15, 2021
This was about a thousand times better then I expected it to be. Honestly was just expecting some fun smutty times and instead got a gritty dark story and some seriously compelling, though not exactly likeable, characters (also yes, plenty of smutty times too).
And now I’m pissed off I have to wait for the second book. I need resolution dammit!
And now I’m pissed off I have to wait for the second book. I need resolution dammit!
December 16, 2020
The writting and story are so engaging, it's impossible to stop reading until you know what's happening next.
The morally grey characters just makes everything better. Honestly, I can't wait The next book
The morally grey characters just makes everything better. Honestly, I can't wait The next book
July 3, 2024
i absolutely adored this story and am crossing my fingers that we’ll get word on the sequel soon!
Read
July 15, 202534% DNF
Unfortunately, I'm not a big fan of the FMC, who was too angry for my tastes. Sorry I didn't get far enough to meet Dieter, who sounds awesome but not holding my attention...
Unfortunately, I'm not a big fan of the FMC, who was too angry for my tastes. Sorry I didn't get far enough to meet Dieter, who sounds awesome but not holding my attention...
May 27, 2025
I can’t finish this book 🥴
the first few chapters were good.
then when she went to the 40th floor with her friend, that was stupid.
and when she got in the limo for the second time? stupiderrrr.
to his house? stupidesttttt.
and she’s a lawyer???
I just can’t lol DNF @ 53%
the first few chapters were good.
then when she went to the 40th floor with her friend, that was stupid.
and when she got in the limo for the second time? stupiderrrr.
to his house? stupidesttttt.
and she’s a lawyer???
I just can’t lol DNF @ 53%
dnf
July 7, 2024DNF 9%
I came here for If I Can’t Have You vibes (catch Deathdoll’s serialized masterpiece on AO3), but I left disappointed after the first four chapters. Many grammatical errors really prevented my taking any of the “very smart and accomplished” characters too seriously, but they also bickered and slung insults like high schoolers, which I think was supposed to be edgy and tough. It just didn’t work. And I suspect an attorney would have a lot to say about the courtroom conduct.
Fascinating premise, but the detail work was completely absent. Too bad.
The author needed to work hard with honest beta readers and developmental editors and for CERTAIN pay for a good proofread.
I came here for If I Can’t Have You vibes (catch Deathdoll’s serialized masterpiece on AO3), but I left disappointed after the first four chapters. Many grammatical errors really prevented my taking any of the “very smart and accomplished” characters too seriously, but they also bickered and slung insults like high schoolers, which I think was supposed to be edgy and tough. It just didn’t work. And I suspect an attorney would have a lot to say about the courtroom conduct.
Fascinating premise, but the detail work was completely absent. Too bad.
The author needed to work hard with honest beta readers and developmental editors and for CERTAIN pay for a good proofread.
February 24, 2022
2021???
This was absolutely fabulous but I must have missed the part where I have to wait until late 2021 for part 2!!!
My stomach just dropped to my feet when I seen that :(
Updated: ok so we're into 2022... Ms. Everly are you going to do a second book? I have checked back so many times but I don't see anything 😭 please don't leave me hanging!
This was absolutely fabulous but I must have missed the part where I have to wait until late 2021 for part 2!!!
My stomach just dropped to my feet when I seen that :(
Updated: ok so we're into 2022... Ms. Everly are you going to do a second book? I have checked back so many times but I don't see anything 😭 please don't leave me hanging!
September 24, 2025
Well...this was a mindfuck. I was hooked and engrossed immediately--and I'm not even into rough bdsm type stuff. If you want to understand how daddy issues can mess up a girl all the way into adulthood, give this a whirl. Jaysus! I don't even know if I would call this a romance. Everyone in this book is flawed AF and I can't honestly say I "enjoyed" reading this because it's so dark and heavy--and I had a sense of impending doom the entire time---but will i read the 2nd book? Absolutely.
January 4, 2025
dnf around 45% and then skimmed the rest oh my GOD kara is annoying and mind you i like annoying bitchy fmcs and kara had a lot of reasons to hate/dislike calais but my god was she stupid at some points
how are you going to go into the sex lounge that you’re currently prosecuting against? and when calais calls her out on that she (rightfully) gets scared but you know what she does? gets BACK in the same limousine where she was assaulted by him like omg lets put on our thinking hats babe
like i said i love bitchy, bratty fmcs, the more annoying they are the better but oh my godddd kara was so cringey at times - the amount of times she wanted to claw someone or was scowling made me groan out loud
i like calais though, he was nice for the most part and was what made me want to keep reading
calais deserves a different fmc to be with kara was annoying
i still like her in her own unique way but my god is it hard to read sometimes especially with her cringy lines of how she wants to attack someone
how are you going to go into the sex lounge that you’re currently prosecuting against? and when calais calls her out on that she (rightfully) gets scared but you know what she does? gets BACK in the same limousine where she was assaulted by him like omg lets put on our thinking hats babe
like i said i love bitchy, bratty fmcs, the more annoying they are the better but oh my godddd kara was so cringey at times - the amount of times she wanted to claw someone or was scowling made me groan out loud
i like calais though, he was nice for the most part and was what made me want to keep reading
calais deserves a different fmc to be with kara was annoying
i still like her in her own unique way but my god is it hard to read sometimes especially with her cringy lines of how she wants to attack someone
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 18, 2022
I’m surprised this book doesn’t have more reviews, yes the cliffhanger (with no second book in sight) is annoying and disappointing but it in no way mitigates how fabulous the book is to read. Without giving any spoilers, the plot has a unique twist on the enemy to lover storyline, the MCs are flawed, yet endearing.
If there’s one romance book you read this summer. Make it this one! Unsure? Find an extended sample on AO3 under the same name.
If there’s one romance book you read this summer. Make it this one! Unsure? Find an extended sample on AO3 under the same name.
February 15, 2025
what the fuckkkkk i had no idea this was going to be so good
Want to read
April 25, 2021🎁 FREE on Amazon today (4/25/2021)! 🎁
August 29, 2025
I love a good enemies to lovers book, and this one is probably one of my favorites I’ve ever read! Kara and Nick’s chemistry is sexually charged poison in the best way. I love how strong her personality is and how she fights him the whole way through. I also love how callous and cold Nicholas is towards her. Their toxic attraction to each other and exploration of their non-con/dub-con kinks is so enticing to see unfold. I loved everything about this book. The first sex scene at his house is by far my favorite, and the CNC role playing is something new I hadn’t yet seen but really enjoyed. This one is a must read.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 5, 2024
Wow what a surprise! very good book ,Need more ?where is the second Book ?
July 30, 2024
Court is in session
Absolutely loved this book! Really hope the author brings out the sequel as I want to know what happens next
Absolutely loved this book! Really hope the author brings out the sequel as I want to know what happens next
June 8, 2025
Probably the closest dynamic to IICHY
July 22, 2024
I am so taken aback at just how entrancing this book was??? I couldn't care less about smut and while I'm not particularly a fan of the erotica genre, this story used that basis so powerfully to further build its characters and progress the plot. Seriously!
Of course there were times where it felt like the FMC, Kara, was doing the most, but it never felt frustrating. And the brooding coldness of not just one, but two, of the main male characters was exceptionally well done — they still felt like troubling, intoxicating humans rather than unfeeling machines. Having these kinds of toxic characters go about their business amidst a backdrop of law, ethics, and old money was so much fun to read and so I ended up finishing the book in two days.
Kudos to Asha Everly for crafting such an addicting tale that I hope more dark romance fans find out about and give it a chance! I really do hope someday the second part will be published :')
Of course there were times where it felt like the FMC, Kara, was doing the most, but it never felt frustrating. And the brooding coldness of not just one, but two, of the main male characters was exceptionally well done — they still felt like troubling, intoxicating humans rather than unfeeling machines. Having these kinds of toxic characters go about their business amidst a backdrop of law, ethics, and old money was so much fun to read and so I ended up finishing the book in two days.
Kudos to Asha Everly for crafting such an addicting tale that I hope more dark romance fans find out about and give it a chance! I really do hope someday the second part will be published :')
November 19, 2025
For what feels like a century, I've been hunting for a book that comes even close to "If I Can't Have You" by DeathsDoll on AO3. The infamous, the legendary, the perfect.
It still is — but this one feels pretty damn good too.
The corporate atmosphere, the skilled professionals, the power, the glory, the insecurities all coming together to create toxic conflict.
None of the characters can really communicate. Their childhood traumas are like checkboxes to explain how fucked up they are. It's not nearly a perfect book, but it'll wrap you up in a warm blanket and spit you right out. It can be embarrassing and raw, but almost aching. The writing might have a ton of typos, but it'll have a simple line that cuts you open. "He laughs, low and dangerous. Like a razorblade across a wrist."
It still is — but this one feels pretty damn good too.
The corporate atmosphere, the skilled professionals, the power, the glory, the insecurities all coming together to create toxic conflict.
None of the characters can really communicate. Their childhood traumas are like checkboxes to explain how fucked up they are. It's not nearly a perfect book, but it'll wrap you up in a warm blanket and spit you right out. It can be embarrassing and raw, but almost aching. The writing might have a ton of typos, but it'll have a simple line that cuts you open. "He laughs, low and dangerous. Like a razorblade across a wrist."
October 20, 2025
Actually really liked this one. I haven’t read third person in a while so that took a few chapters of getting used to. I like how angry the fmc is and how much of an asshole the Mmc is without being a weird controlling alpha hole that you see in most dark romance books. That shit gets boring real quick but this one is actually well written and seems to keep my attention well. Lowkey like this a lot. Also, I love dieter so much and I want to know what that says about me.
dnf
August 13, 2024No rating, DNF 40%
I feel like there's no point in reading this. Both FMC and MMC are horrible, I don't think there's any "romance" in this. Both MCs being put together makes it super toxic. I don't know if it's the norm for AO3 authors to publish their work after it's done in AO3, but this is not good enough to be commercialized.
I feel like there's no point in reading this. Both FMC and MMC are horrible, I don't think there's any "romance" in this. Both MCs being put together makes it super toxic. I don't know if it's the norm for AO3 authors to publish their work after it's done in AO3, but this is not good enough to be commercialized.
March 16, 2025
(3.75 stars)
LOVE the complexity of the characters and plot. Didn’t love that the plot got a bit stagnant in the middle and certain subplots weren’t touched on frequently enough. The book picked back up around 80% of the way through; I think that’s when the author really knew what direction she wanted to go with this story. I’m excited to read the second book <3
LOVE the complexity of the characters and plot. Didn’t love that the plot got a bit stagnant in the middle and certain subplots weren’t touched on frequently enough. The book picked back up around 80% of the way through; I think that’s when the author really knew what direction she wanted to go with this story. I’m excited to read the second book <3
August 29, 2025
not the you can be my mistress trope 😭😭😭 i hate it but i need to know whta happens and have her reach some form of happiness at the end of the duet
it was an interesting writing style and dark characters. had to take a break midway but now i need to binge book two
it was an interesting writing style and dark characters. had to take a break midway but now i need to binge book two
July 20, 2024
Half of 2024 is gone!
Where is the rest??????
Where is the rest??????
November 14, 2024
I'm delighted! Will there be a sequel? When can we expect the second book?
January 7, 2025
2.5⭐️
dnf
February 16, 2025DNF around 15% a couple weeks back
February 19, 2025
DNF 22%. The plot bored me. The FMC and MMC had no chemistry
March 23, 2025
I wanted to hate him from the get go? I really did, but I couldn’t.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews