Something in the Water

by M.J. Duncan

Professor Kate Walker is a tenured, world-renowned engineer. She has a job she loves, a daughter she adores, and friends who've been with her through thick and thin. It's a fulfilling life that doesn’t really need anything—or anyone—else. Especially not a charming, downright amazing woman who happens to be twenty years her junior.

Carter Burke has lived a storied life and has the Olympic medals to prove it. She’s got her dream job coaching a collegiate women’s lightweight rowing team in her beloved Boston, and is happily married to the sport she’s dedicated her life to. She’s happy with her life and not really looking for more, but all that changes when a blonde professor with hypnotizing sea glass green eyes waltzes into her boathouse.

The Charles River has played host to countless scenes of overwhelming joy and crushing heartbreak over the years—but never quite on a scale like this. Because when hearts are involved, the stakes are infinitely higher. Carter is hooked from the moment she first lays eyes on Kate, and their chemistry is undeniable, but is that chemistry enough to help Kate push past her reservations and into Carter’s arms?

Genres: Lesbian, Romance, Sports, Contemporary, Audiobook, Lesbian Fiction, Fiction

458 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 10, 2024

About the author

MJ Duncan is a Southern California girl who traded in her surfboard for hockey skates when she moved to Minnesota. When not writing, MJ enjoys reading, climbing, swimming, and spending time with her family. You can also follow her on twitter (@mj_duncan) and tumblr (mjduncan).

Reviews

[Diane Wallace · Rating 3 out of 5]

**'Seasoned writers should always revise their work. Never ignore the many mistakes that you might have made but let them slide and please, don't be clever because the content of your storytelling should be what attracts many readers..'

Okay read!
This would have been such a fascinating and charming story -- but just the tedious, annoying, unnecessary and overuse of certain catchphrases --- whether all sounded good, still should have omitted. Plus i think the story was way too long....

[Simone11 · Rating 5 out of 5]

4,5 - 5 ⭐️
Feel good, family friendly, age-gap story with a lot of hot sex scenes. Enjoyed it a lot.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderfully written. Lovely characters. Witty. Charming. Swoon worthy. Spicy 😉

[Menestrella · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed the premises of the book, age-gap, sport, but as I kept reading I felt I missed some kind of tension.

Something that would make me turn the pages faster knowing what would happen next.

This novel is perfect for those who like no angst at all and want a pleasurable read. It didn't work for me, unfortunately.

I also felt that sometimes the parts about rowing dragged a bit too much into details, which I found myself skipping, because I didn't really feel the emotions reflected into Carter. Too much technical info without more details into the drive of an olympic sporter.

Everything went too well from the beginning. Glad others enjoyed this book more than me.

[Lyn Denison · Rating 4 out of 5]

The characters in this book are really nice people. I was unsure about the age gap in the beginning but as in ‘real life’ our MCs simply meshed and age became just a number. As someone who’s susceptible to seasickness, the water has never held my interest but the rowing background was interesting and I never doubted its authenticity. An enjoyable, satisfying read.

[cloverxheart · Rating 3 out of 5]

Way too long.
You have to be really invested in the characters and love them to enjoy this, which I sadly wasn't.
They got together at page 120 or something and then it's just over 300 pages of them just being cute and horny, with no real plot or anything happening.

[Michelle Schuler · Rating 5 out of 5]

Something in the Water

MJ Duncan outdid herself. This sweet romance was a beautiful story.
I loved the premise, amazing chemistry, and low angst.
There was an abundance of tenderness in the interactions between the MCs. This was spicier than previous books.
All characters were well developed. The secondary characters were a whoot, and I enjoyed their interactions and support.
I loved learning about a sport I was unfamiliar with. The glossary in front of the book was helpful. I appreciated that it left the book to flow smoothly without defining each new term during the dialog.
The age gap aspect was well done. Although it was initially addressed, it was left alone and only brought into light by secondary characters, not harped on by the MCs.
I truly enjoyed this book, and as an avid follower of MJ Duncan, I will continue to follow her and look forward to each new release she brings us.

[Aunt Missa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Closer to 3.5 stars. This took me forever to read since there was really no “story.” It’s basically the 2 MC just being happy. No angst, no tension, no conflict, and kinda nowhere to go. Once they got together, they were together. I skipped through all the rowing stuff and there was A LOT of rowing stuff.

Lots and lots of spice and the very last spice scene was, um, something pretty special.

[Marilyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful characters, and I loved all the time on the water.

[Sarah · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not bad necessarily, but very boring.

[Alex · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful as always.

I've loved every one of Duncan's books and I am absolutely astounded at her level of research for them. I don't feel like this one lives up to the Symphony trilogy but still gets five stars.

[Siddie · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent story.
Carter is an Olympic rower, having won a gold medal at past olympics, but is now a college rowing coach. Kate is a professor, and scientist specialising in green energy, specifically water turbines.
They meet when Carter is coaching Maddie, Kate’s teen daughter.
This is a long book, full novel length, but it never seems to lose momentum. After Carter and Kate realise their mutual attraction, the story gets steamy, but it is also very erotic, not just sex for its own sake. There are some very emotional and lovely scenes, especially towards the end, in which we see the depth of the love between the women - some very cozy scenes too. I really loved this book, one that I found difficult to put down.

[Kexx · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lovely writer, 14th book of MJ’s I’ve read, majority 5*, with one or two 4*s. (OK, 3!) Love the way she makes it an all round tale, friends, family etc which makes it real. Recommended.

[Gabryela · Rating 5 out of 5]

If anyone knows of similar books, please recommend them. Lesbian mom/ Age gap(not necessarily) romance and preferably an audiobook. Similar to: Truth and Measure, Popcorn Love, Temptation or Contract for Love

[Deb · Rating 5 out of 5]

so so good

I am a huge fan of this authors work, seriously, you can’t go wrong with whatever book you choose.
This book is absolutely gorgeous, the characters are brilliantly written, the storyline is relatable and it will have you laughing, swooning and getting rather hot under the collar.
What I also love about MJ’s books are the little nods to previous books that always manages to puts a smile on my face, as well as a deep longing to go and reread them.
So, what can you expect from this book you ask, well, expect to be hooked from the very start. You might also feel the need to have a little fun on the river. You’ll definitely be unable to put it down, the words flow so naturally that before you know it hours have past. By the end you will smile and hope the author brings another book out soon.

[Susan Ferrante · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful Age Gap Romance

I loved Carter and Kate and the supporting characters. Kate is a college professor with a 13 year old daughter and Carter is a rowing coach at the same university. This is their love story and I highly recommend it.

[Allie Wagner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Funny they had to add some drama... the main characters fell in line and in deep like/lust so quickly...all was great.
I enjoyed the aspect of the rowing that brought the daughter and the main character and the rowing coach together. Many of the rowing scenes were so enjoyable to me. I felt like I was at practices and races with the characters.
I felt slightly challenged and not fully understanding what the parents issue was regarding age difference for their adult child???
It was more the long reaction that stymied me...
BUT I loved their love... friends... family. The epilogue was awesome.
Abby C was fabulous as narrator!!

[Jess Bullock · Rating 5 out of 5]

So sweet

Well that was just adorable. Flirty and sweet and sexy with hardly any angst but lots of fluff. I loved every bit of this book.

[Ashlei Renee ♡ · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don't have words to describe how much I loved this book

[Judy - JC · Rating 3 out of 5]

I finished reading this book on January 5, 2025; however, I count it as read in 2024 since approximately 88% of it was read that year.

[Odd Bin · Rating 2 out of 5]

The story itself was fine, no problems there, it was the eyes rolling back in their heads that did mine in. The phrase was used so often I think these two look like slot machines whenever they kiss. Then there's the taste of their sighs. The flavour of a sigh being so potent that it can be savoured from as far as the belly button area. Honestly speaking, the story was a solid three stars, if not four, but the repetitiveness of the eye-rolling and sigh-tasting just did my head in.

[bex · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow. I loved this book so much more than I expected to. It’s an age-gap romance with so much chemistry, I was hooked all the way through. I was waiting for that inevitable 70% break up/ miscommunication but it never came!!! The side characters are all so well written and add so much to the story. I was also so interested in the world of rowing- to the point it made me want to get out on the water. This book is such a good example of a healthy love story- with plenty of great spice.

[SunshineReads23 · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 Stars! Loved Kate & Maddie, and Carter was an adorably perfect fit. Not much angst, not much in the way of obstacles but it was perfect. Romantic, endearing, HOT, and so incredibly funny. I also learned a whole lot about rowing and it made it super interesting. Definitely looking fwd to reading more from Duncan.

[MissAlice · Rating 3 out of 5]

I nerded out reading this book. I knew little of rowing and found myself googling what all the words meant and finding pics of all the things so I could have a mental image of what I was reading. That was fun and enjoyed it immensely. The steamy scenes are hot and heavy… even a saucy office romp made its way onto the page. I liked the blended family, age gap deliciousness and the only reason it’s getting three stars is the sugary sweetness. The floral hallmarkishness is tough to read and found myself skipping paragraphs and pages to avoid it. This is a low stakes book and that is lovely, was just too many convos and not enough plot.

[Veda · Rating 3 out of 5]

So, I began reading this book last week, but initially, I wasn’t particularly engaged. The frequent discussions about rowing made me hesitant because I’m completely unfamiliar with the sport. As a result, I found it challenging to fully comprehend their actions. However, I took a break and returned to it yesterday, and I must say, it turned out to be a rather enjoyable read.

[Mollie · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5

[Gina L · Rating 5 out of 5]

An Age Gap HEA Rowing Love Story!

A fan of MJ Duncan, I always count on her love stories to reach deep. Whether through music, books, dancing and sports there is always a love story that touches the soul of the main characters. It is deep and heartfelt and honest. This story centers on rowing. Kate Walker is a professor, a world renowned engineer whose daughter Maddie is going to rowing camp. Running late to pick her up she meets Carter Burke who she assumes is a group counselor being so young. There is a spark between the two but Maddie puts an end to it. As they run into each other a few times more at the MU Bathhouse things are developing but Kate feels Carter is too young for her. The story takes you through the delicate age issues as a younger Carter who has no issues with her age is on a daily pursuit of her. Add in Kate’s daughter and her ex-husband and his partner plus her support group of friends and you have an exciting love story. The story is humorous as well as heartwarming. You can’t help falling in love with this family.

[Unpopmary · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.75 ⭐

Something in the Water is the first book I’ve read by MJ Duncan. At first, I was really enjoying the story — the characters were charming, and I could definitely feel their chemistry. But about halfway through, things started to lose momentum. There just wasn’t any significant development, and the story began to feel a bit too monotone.

While I don’t typically go for overly angsty stories, I do think a bit of drama is necessary to deepen the characters' arcs and strengthen their connection. Without it, the dynamic felt repetitive — especially in a book that’s over 400 pages long. By the end, I found myself skipping a few chapters, and even then, I had no trouble following the plot.

That said, I haven’t written off the author entirely — I might give MJ Duncan another shot in the future!

[saisha · Rating 5 out of 5]

really sweet reliable romance- would reread

[Le · Rating 1 out of 5]

I have my review under the cut not necessarily because of spoilers, but because I know not everyone wants to publicly read a negative review, but I'm still leaving one for those who would want to read it.

I already know based of my rating score alone, I'm an outcast in regards to reviews. I must preface that I have read all of Duncan's books for nearly a decade. Atramentum was the first of her books I ever read, which I learned about via Kindle ad when it first came out back in 2016. Her stories through the years have been hit or miss with me, but this one was my least favorite and felt like pulling teeth to finish.

I was willing to see how she would write an age gap story since her last one was with Spectrum as Bryn and Anna had an eleven year difference, and Spectrum is one of my favorite of Duncan's. While I don't care to have a heavy angst book, 'Something in the Water' was too unrealistic for me. There is a twenty year age gap between Carter and Kate. While it was brought up early in the story, it was highly unusual how there wasn't as much push back from friends and/or family until the last one hundred pages. Kate is in the same generational group as Carter's parents which absolutely should bring up concern from more than just Carter's parents.

Because there was little to no conflict through out the entire book the characters fell flat living in a utopia world where nearly everyone is accepting no questions asked. The shovel talks even fell flat. I had expected some concern and push back from Maddie because Carter could be old enough to be Maddie's mother if Carter was a teenage mother. To the point of her idol is dating her mother, which from the context of the book Maddie had no clue Kate was ever bisexual, Maddie did not question anything about finding out Carter and Kate were dating.

Meanwhile Carter and Kate acted like horny teenagers instead of the thirty and fifty year-olds they are. I had to start skimming through their intimate scenes because I found it boring with how often it kept coming up or how often they kept implying their need to be intimate almost every time they're near each other.

Previous books were more tasteful of the life of the characters and balance of their intimate life. Carter and Kate revolved around them having sex or wanting to have sex. That gets boring real quickly when the reader doesn't get attached to the characters. The number of times they were all gushy over each other to the point of being in breaming with tears, throat tightening, and overwhelmed with emotions happened too often it became in eye roll.

There were also a number of typos through out the story that could have been easily fixed if Duncan had slowed down from when she had finish writing the book to publishing deadline. It's as if it hadn't been thoroughly reviewed for edits compared to previous books where there were barely typos.

Of Duncan's books this is 12th place on the rankings of the novels only. Novellas are not considered on the ranking.