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Verdict: A warm, funny, low-angst slow burn between retired US and Canadian hockey captains thrown together at a boarding school — a comfort read with great banter and a lively friend group, but light on conflict, light on hockey and not for anyone who wants real rivalry.
Best for: Readers who want a cosy, drama-free romance, love banter and found family, and like their sports romance with the sport in the background.
Heat level: 3/5 (romance.io: open door, 16 ratings)
Rating: ★★★★☆ (4.0/5 — a 4.28 Goodreads average across 1,680 ratings and 4.1 on StoryGraph from 298 reviews)
Tropes: Rivals to lovers, forced proximity, workplace romance, retired athletes, slow burn, found family, low angst, standalone.
Unadulterated Something is MJ Duncan’s 2020 contemporary lesbian romance. Emma Beauchamp, the retired face of US women’s hockey, is happily teaching maths and coaching hockey at Stonebridge, the Berkshires boarding school she once attended. Then the school hires a new counsellor and assistant coach: Campbell Jordan, the Canadian captain who was her bitter rival for years.
It holds a 4.28 average across 1,680 Goodreads ratings, with 82% of them four or five stars, 4.1 on StoryGraph from 298 reviews, and 4.6 stars across 1,518 Amazon ratings. Readers who love it call it a comfort read.
What Is Unadulterated Something About?
For years, whenever the USA and Canada met on the ice, Emma and Campbell were at the centre of it, and Campbell’s career ended with a shattered knee. Retirement should have closed that chapter. Instead Campbell arrives on Emma’s campus, and the two women who spent years battling for team and country have to share coaching duties for a group of girls learning to play.
There is distrust and lingering animosity at first, most of it on Emma’s side. But as circumstances force them to work together, they discover that being on the same team is not nearly as awful as they feared — and that the electric connection between them was never only about competition.
What Makes This Hockey Romance Work
- Banter: Readers repeatedly single out the back-and-forth between Emma and Campbell as the book’s biggest pleasure.
- The friend group: A meddling, funny supporting cast — one reader said it had the best secondary characters she had read in a while.
- Mature leads: Both women handle their feelings like adults. There are no silly misunderstandings or dramatic shenanigans.
- Healthy competition: The competitive edge that defined their rivalry never disappears; it just becomes playful.
- Comfort: One reader compared it to sitting by a fire with friends under a warm blanket.
Book Synopsis
Emma Beauchamp and Campbell Jordan’s rivalry on the ice was legendary. Retirement should have closed that chapter of their lives, but when Campbell joins the faculty at Stonebridge — the prestigious Berkshires boarding school where Emma now teaches — it takes on a brand-new life.
There is plenty of distrust and lingering animosity, but as circumstances force them not only to coexist but to work together, Emma and Campbell find that being on the same team is not as awful as they had feared. Will their years spent battling for team and country be too much to overcome, or will they finally acknowledge the truth behind the electric connection they share?
My Review
Duncan is great at friendship turning into love. The slow build between Emma and Campbell — awkward early meetings, shared coaching duties, teasing that turns into flirting — is the heart of the book, and the large cast of colleagues and friends keeps it funny. It is told from Emma’s point of view, which means we see Campbell as Emma slowly does: kinder and more patient than the rival she thought she knew. Once the attraction catches, readers describe it as warm, sweet and sexy.
The same qualities that make it a comfort read are what its critics dislike. If you pick it up for “rivals to lovers” expecting tension and angst, you may be disappointed: the rivalry mostly evaporates early, and several readers found the book almost conflict-free once the couple get together. Others wanted more hockey, and more of the team they coach. A few felt Emma’s early hostility was immature, the friends too many and too involved, and the relationship moved from rivals to lovers too quickly. One reader was distracted by repeated phrases, including how often Emma licks her lips.
My honest note: This is a book to read when you want to feel good. Go in expecting low drama, and it delivers exactly that.
| Element | In Unadulterated Something |
|---|---|
| Central relationship | Emma Beauchamp & Campbell Jordan — retired US and Canadian captains |
| Core tropes | Rivals to lovers, forced proximity, workplace, slow burn |
| Setting | Stonebridge, a boarding school in the Berkshires |
| Heat level | 3/5 on romance.io — open door |
| POV | Emma’s point of view |
| Series | Standalone — happy ending, no third-act breakup |
| Content notes | Past sports injury; very low angst |
How Spicy Is Unadulterated Something?
Romance.io rates it 3 of 5, “open door,” from 16 ratings. One reader described steamy action once the slow burn catches fire and another called it warm and sexy, while a third found it less steamy than she expected and did not mind because the banter carried it.
There is very little to warn about. The book is deliberately low angst, with Campbell’s career-ending knee injury in the past and no third-act breakup.
Who Should Read This Book?
You’ll likely love it if: you want a cosy, funny slow burn with mature leads, you enjoy big friend groups, and you like hockey as a backdrop. It is on our sapphic hockey romance list.
You may want to skip it if: you want real enemies-to-lovers tension, lots of on-ice action, or angst.
In short: A sweet, low-stakes comfort read with a rivalry that is mostly for fun.
What Readers Are Actually Saying (September 2026)
It is on Kindle Unlimited, where several reviewers found it; a web search surfaced no Reddit threads. On Goodreads the split is 49% five stars, 33% four, 14% three, 3% two and under 1% one. On StoryGraph, 92% tag it lighthearted and 87% of readers who answered found the characters loveable. The 2025 Tantor audiobook, narrated by Abby Craden, runs 9 hours and 14 minutes, and listeners praise her performance.
Prefer audio? Listen to Unadulterated Something on Libro.fm — the audiobook shop that supports independent bookstores.
Why readers love it (according to the discourse): The banter first. Second, the friend group. Third, low angst and mature leads. Fourth, the slow burn.
What readers argue about and complain about: Too little conflict, above everything. Second, too little hockey. Third, too many side characters. Fourth, a fast jump from rivals to lovers.
The comparison worth making first: If you want rivals with more bite, Playmaker has more friction and more hockey. If you want the same cosy feeling, Stick Around is another well-loved sapphic hockey romance.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Unadulterated Something enemies to lovers?
Rivals to lovers, lightly. Emma and Campbell were bitter on-ice rivals for years, but once they have to work together they turn out to be adults about it, and the rivalry becomes friendly competition rather than real conflict.
How spicy is Unadulterated Something?
Moderate. Romance.io rates it 3 of 5, open door, from 16 ratings. Readers describe it as warm and sexy once the slow burn catches, though one found it less steamy than she expected.
Is there much hockey in Unadulterated Something?
Less than the premise suggests. The leads coach a school team, and there is some on-ice action, but most of the story happens off the ice.
Is Unadulterated Something on Kindle Unlimited?
Yes, at the time of writing the Kindle edition is available on Kindle Unlimited. There is also an audiobook narrated by Abby Craden.
Does Unadulterated Something have a third-act breakup?
No. Readers highlight that there is no third-act breakup and no frustrating miscommunication; it is a low-drama romance with a happy ending.
If You Loved Unadulterated Something, Read These Next
Try Stick Around for another well-loved sapphic hockey romance, Playmaker for rivals-turned-teammates in a pro league, or Like a Power Play for a college coaching romance. For more, browse our sapphic hockey romance list, the sapphic sports romance hub, or the full Book Reviews archive.
The Bottom Line
Unadulterated Something sets out to be a feel-good rivals-to-lovers romance, and for most readers it is exactly that: funny, warm and free of needless drama. What holds it back is the flip side of that comfort — little conflict, little hockey and a rivalry that fades fast. For a cosy read, it is worth it. Check Unadulterated Something on Amazon →
The Eikna Overall Ranking
On the Eikna scale, Unadulterated Something ranks as a very good comfort romance — charming and beloved, held back by low stakes and a light touch on the sport.
The Evidence Scorecard
Overall ★★★★☆ 4/5
- ✓ 4.28 average across 1,680 Goodreads ratings
- ✓ 82% of Goodreads ratings are four or five stars
- ✓ 4.1 on StoryGraph from 298 reviews
- ✓ 4.6 stars across 1,518 Amazon ratings
Romance ★★★★☆ 4/5
- ✓ Friendship to love
- ✓ Slow burn
- ✓ Mature communication
- ✓ Quick once together
Characters ★★★★☆ 4/5
- ✓ Likeable leads
- ✓ Beloved friend group
- ✓ Emma immature early for some
- ✓ Too many side characters for some
Writing ★★★★☆ 3.7/5
- ✓ Witty banter
- ✓ Easy, pacy read
- ✓ Repeated phrases
- ✓ Long for the plot
Emotional Impact ★★★★☆ 3.5/5
- ✓ Feel-good
- ✓ Low angst
- ✓ Little conflict
- ✓ Comfort-read status
Heat Level ★★★☆☆ 3/5
- ✓ Romance.io 3/5, open door
- ✓ Warm and sexy
- ✓ Less steamy than some expected
- ✓ Late slow burn payoff
Ending ★★★★☆ 4.1/5
- ✓ Happy ending
- ✓ No third-act breakup
- ✓ No miscommunication
- ✓ Some wanted more of the team
Re-read Value ★★★★☆ 4.2/5
- ✓ Cosy, feel-good tone
- ✓ Could become a comfort read
- ✓ On Kindle Unlimited
- ✓ Praised audiobook
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