Clara’s Verdict
There is a particular pleasure in discovering a romance that doesn’t rush. MJ Duncan’s Something in the Water is one of those audiobooks that lets you breathe – a story about two women who are, on the surface, entirely unsuited to each other, yet whose chemistry feels wholly earned by the time the narrative reaches its conclusion. Professor Kate Walker and Olympic rowing coach Carter Burke are drawn together on the banks of the Charles River in Boston, and what unfolds over twelve and a half hours is tender, occasionally spicy, and deeply character-driven. This won’t be for readers who need non-stop drama or manufactured obstacles. But if you want a slow-burn love story that trusts you to enjoy the journey – the actual getting-to-know-you, the gradual dropping of defences, the very particular vulnerability of two people who have built full lives without each other and are being asked to consider that something might still be missing – Duncan delivers beautifully.
I’ve reviewed a great many f/f romances, and the ones that linger tend to share a quality: they’re written by someone who understands that desire is usually less interesting than the negotiation that precedes it. That’s precisely what Duncan is good at. The emotional intelligence on display here sets this above most of its peers in the genre.
About the Audiobook
Kate Walker is a tenured, world-renowned engineer with a life that is, by any reasonable assessment, already full: a career she loves, a daughter she adores, and a circle of friends who have been with her through the serious upheavals as well as the minor ones. The last thing she is looking for is a relationship – and certainly not with a woman twenty years her junior. Carter Burke, meanwhile, is a former Olympic medallist now coaching a women’s collegiate lightweight rowing team in Boston. She has her dream job, her beloved sport, and a settled contentment in her daily life. She is not looking for more. And then Kate walks into her boathouse.
The novel is set in and around Boston, with the Charles River as an almost symbolic backdrop – it has hosted scenes of overwhelming joy and crushing heartbreak across the decades, and Duncan uses this detail with care. The setting gives the romance a specific texture: rowing culture, the discipline and devotion it demands, the particular camaraderie of elite athletics, is rendered with enough authenticity to make Carter compelling as a person rather than simply as a love interest.
What lifts this above many of its genre peers is the supporting cast. Kate’s best friends Missy and Erica provide genuine warmth and comic relief, the sort of women you’d absolutely want in your corner and also occasionally want to hide from. Their friendship with Kate is as much a part of the emotional architecture of the book as the central romance. The novel explores questions of age-gap relationships, self-doubt, and the particular courage it takes to risk what you’ve already built on something new – and it does so without either characters being required to suffer implausibly.
The Narration
Abby Craden narrates, and she is a dependable, skilled presence across the entire twelve-and-a-half-hour running time. Craden has a warm, measured delivery that suits Kate’s perspective particularly well – the slight guardedness, the dry wit, the gradual thawing that the character undergoes as the romance develops. She differentiates the secondary characters clearly without caricaturing them, and Missy and Erica’s lively banter lands with the right timing. Her pacing through the more intimate scenes is well-judged: she doesn’t rush them, but she doesn’t over-perform them either. If you’re new to her narration work, this is a solid introduction to what she does. She never overwhelms the text or draws attention to her own technique, which is exactly right for this kind of intimate, character-driven fiction.
What Readers Say
UK readers have responded enthusiastically, with most awarding four or five stars. One listener praised the “great characters, not too much angst – just a great story with good main and supporting characters,” adding particular appreciation for the references to other books in Duncan’s catalogue scattered through the text. Another reviewer noted the story was “strongly linked to the world of rowing but not dominated by it – just a good old-fashioned love story to curl up and enjoy by the fire.” A dissenting voice felt “not much actually happens,” pointing to the preponderance of emotional reflection over plot event, but even that reviewer acknowledged the writing quality. A reader who specifically highlighted Missy and Erica wrote that “everyone needs some quality bants from a best friend in their lives” – which is not an inaccurate summary of their function in the narrative. The consensus among Duncan’s fans is clear: this is exactly the kind of book they came to her for.
Who Should Listen?
Primarily recommended for listeners who enjoy f/f romance that prioritises emotional authenticity over melodrama. If you have a soft spot for found family dynamics, sports settings, and slow-burn tension that earns its resolution, Something in the Water belongs on your list. Duncan’s style will particularly appeal to readers who enjoy Georgia Beers, Clare Ashton, or Karin Kallmaker: character-first storytelling with genuine warmth and no manufactured crises. Ideal for long commutes, weekend afternoons, or any time you want to sink into something unhurried and rewarding. Fans of the author who have been waiting for new material will not be disappointed.
Listen on Audible UK: Get Something in the Water on Audible UK. Also available on Kobo, Scribd, and Storytel.
