Writer in Residence by Rhonda McKnight explores the story of an author who hopes to break through her writer’s block by discovering the truth about her family and solving the secrets her mother has been keeping from her.
Main Themes
I read an ARC of Writer in Residence and the first two thirds of the book started slowly. Alex is trying to rediscover her muse and a chance match on Ancestry has her questioning her mother’s silence on the real identity of her father. The plot meanders between Alex’s writing woes and her inability to discover the truth about her family history, with occasional stops in romance as Gabe has an obvious crush on her and practically begs her to be his girlfriend.
The tension emerges later in the book, building to a strong finale in the last few chapters that had me glued to the pages. I just wish the tension had shown up sooner. There are small town vibes and themes of close knit community where everyone knows everyone and family lineage is considered incredibly important.
There were main themes of discovering the truth, how children are not their parents and not bound by their mistakes, and the importance of staying connected to family and culture.
Faith Elements
Alex is on a quest to rediscover who she is, with a heavy emphasis on finding identity in cultural history and values. There are occasional mentions of God, but faith is primarily presented through the lens of Gullah Geechee culture, which appears to be a mixture of Christian elements and West African spiritualism. Faith is a big part of the Gullah culture, with Jesus sharing the spiritual stage alongside indigo buntings bringing messages and salt water sharing memories.
Family Friendly Considerations
The romance is clean, with a few passionate kisses and discussions of Gabe’s physique. It’s a perfectly fine book for teens or adults. Even the family secrets aren’t super suspenseful and don’t feel overly heavy to read.
Interested in Similar Reads?
If you enjoy stories of navigating family tension, here are similar contemporary romances to check out!
- Almost by Design by Jenny Erlingsson
- In a Word, Yes by Kit Tosello
- Hearts on the Fly by Toni Shiloh
