information icon
This book is not available to purchase on Fable
4.0 

Writer in Residence

By Rhonda McKnight
Writer in Residence by Rhonda McKnight digital book - Fable

Publisher Description

Sometimes the story you need to write is your own future.

Alexandra "Alex" Chambers is a writer who has lost her words. Facing a crushing case of writer's block and a looming deadline that threatens to end her career, she accepts a lifeline: a writer-in-residence position near Edisto Island in the South Carolina Lowcountry. She expects solitude, Spanish moss, and the time to salvage her next novel. She doesn't expect Gabriel Scott.

Gabe is everything Alex isn't ready for--handsome, steady, and a bestselling author. From the moment he walks back into her life, ten years after a fleeting encounter in his bookstore, the chemistry is undeniable. He challenges her to stop hiding behind her laptop and start living the story she's afraid to tell.

But amidst the ancient live oaks, Alex also discovers a profound connection to the Gullah Geechee culture--a heritage she never fully understood until now. Guided by the quiet wisdom of Ms. Kate, an elderly Gullah cleaning woman with losses of her own, and a blood-deep pull toward a past that refuses to stay buried, Alex begins to unearth family secrets that reshape her identity.

To find her voice, Alex must confront the ghosts of her past and the fears of her present. Writer in Residence is a heartfelt tale mixed with second chances, love, heritage, determination, and the courage it takes to claim your own happy ending.

Download the free Fable app

app book lists

Stay organized

Keep track of what you’re reading, what you’ve finished, and what’s next.
app book recommendations

Build a better TBR

Swipe, skip, and save with our smart list-building tool
app book reviews

Rate and review

Share your take with other readers with half stars, emojis, and tags
app comments

Curate your feed

Meet readers like you in the Fable For You feed, designed to build bookish communities
app book lists

Stay organized

Keep track of what you’re reading, what you’ve finished, and what’s next.
app book recommendations

Build a better TBR

Swipe, skip, and save with our smart list-building tool
app book reviews

Rate and review

Share your take with other readers with half stars, emojis, and tags
app comments

Curate your feed

Meet readers like you in the Fable For You feed, designed to build bookish communities

Writer in Residence Reviews

4.0
“Writer in Residence was exactly what I needed. ​The Setting: Beautifully descriptive. ​The Journey: Emotional and relatable. ​The Writing: Smooth and engaging. It’s soulful, it’s cozy, and the character growth is everything. If you love stories about finding your voice and second chances, add this to your TBR immediately. 💓💓”
“Give me a story set in a small town with memorable characters, a little romance, some family drama, betrayal and secrets I’m gonna eat it up every time. Rhonda McKnight is back with another heartfelt lowcountry novel following a writer who can’t seem to find the right words to complete her next novel. If Alex doesn’t deliver by her deadline this could be the end of her writing career. She accepts a writer-in-residence position near Edisto Island in hopes of finding a spark of ideas but instead she runs into Gabriel Scott. Having been ten years since their last encounter Gabe might be exactly the spark she needs to finish her book. What I love about McKnight’s writing is how seamlessly her stories flow from one theme to the next. The way she goes into detail painting a vivid picture of the setting and what the characters are experiencing from the food to the Gullah culture and language was flawlessly done. Writer in Residence isn’t just about a 38-year old woman trying to save her writing career. It’s about a woman’s journey to finding herself, a search for family, falling in love, uncovering the truth about her lineage and the long kept secrets of her mother and father’s past. Sometimes the answers we seek can be found by simply returning home. 𝚆𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚝𝚘 𝚎𝚡𝚙𝚎𝚌𝚝 𝚠𝚑𝚒𝚕𝚎 𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚍𝚒𝚗𝚐: 🌻 𝙰 𝚜𝚝𝚛𝚊𝚒𝚗𝚎𝚍 𝚖𝚘𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚛-𝚍𝚊𝚞𝚐𝚑𝚝𝚎𝚛 𝚛𝚎𝚕𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚗𝚜𝚑𝚒𝚙 🌻 𝙶𝚞𝚕𝚕𝚊𝚑 𝙶𝚎𝚎𝚌𝚑𝚎𝚎 𝙲𝚞𝚕𝚝𝚞𝚛𝚎 & 𝙻𝚊𝚗𝚐𝚞𝚊𝚐𝚎 🌻 𝙰 𝚗𝚎𝚠 𝚏𝚊𝚖𝚒𝚕𝚢 𝚌𝚘𝚗𝚗𝚎𝚌𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚗 🌻 𝚄𝚗𝚊𝚗𝚜𝚠𝚎𝚛𝚎𝚍 𝚚𝚞𝚎𝚜𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚗𝚜 𝚊𝚋𝚘𝚞𝚝 𝚕𝚒𝚗𝚎𝚊𝚐𝚎 🌻 𝙸𝚕𝚕𝚎𝚐𝚊𝚕𝚕𝚢 𝚊𝚌𝚚𝚞𝚒𝚛𝚎𝚍 𝚕𝚊𝚗𝚍 🌻 𝙰 𝚌𝚘𝚗𝚗𝚎𝚌𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚗 𝚝𝚘 𝚑𝚘𝚖𝚎 🌻 𝙰𝚗 𝚞𝚗𝚎𝚡𝚙𝚎𝚌𝚝𝚎𝚍 𝚕𝚘𝚟𝚎 𝚜𝚝𝚘𝚛𝚢 𝚠𝚒𝚝𝚑 𝚊 𝚌𝚑𝚊𝚛𝚖𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝙼𝙼𝙲 This is maybe the 3rd or 4th book I’ve read that speaks on Black people being swindled out of their land. I love how the author tied all of this into Alex’s family history. Overall, I enjoyed this book and if you’re a fan of Rhonda McKnight’s lowcountry novels you will too.”
“This book felt quietly reassuring, especially as someone dealing with writer’s block. It reminded me that not every stuck moment leads to failure, and that sometimes the story just takes longer to find its shape. Set in the South Carolina Lowcountry near Edisto Island, the novel follows Alex, a writer struggling to meet a deadline after losing her creative spark. Hoping to find inspiration, she takes on a writer-in-residence position surrounded by the slow, heavy beauty of the bayou landscape. There, she meets Gabriel Scott, another writer who challenges her to stop writing what she thinks people want and instead focus on the story she truly wants to tell. As they grow closer, a gentle romance develops alongside Alex’s creative journey. At the same time, she begins uncovering long-buried secrets about her family, adding another layer to her search for truth, both on and off the page. It’s a slow-burn story about creativity, identity, and love, written with a quiet charm that keeps you invested from beginning to end.”
“Rhonda McKnight has done it again!! Another fantastic novel set in the Low Country-I love it here! There are points in this book where you just feel good and there are parts where betrayal and hurt are not sugarcoated. I love the growth that the main character experiences during her writing process and the eventual transformation. Thank you NetGalley and Thomas Nelson Publishing for the opportunity to read the arc in exchange for my honest review!”

About Rhonda McKnight

Rhonda McKnight is the author of the 2025 Christy Award winner Bitter and Sweet and the 2024 Christy Award finalist and Emma Award winner The Thing About Home, as well as several other bestselling, award-winning novels. She writes book club fiction and romance featuring complex characters in crisis. With themes of faith, forgiveness, and hope, her stories inspire and uplift women, offering heartfelt journeys of love, redemption, and resilience. She makes her home in South Carolina. Visit her online at rhondamcknight.com; Instagram: @authorrhondamcknight; X: @rhondamcknight; Facebook: @BooksByRhonda; and Pinterest: @rhondamcknight1.

Start a Book Club

Start a public or private book club with this book on the Fable app today!

FAQ

Do I have to buy the ebook to participate in a book club?

Why can’t I buy the ebook on the app?

How is Fable’s reader different from Kindle?

Do you sell physical books too?

Are book clubs free to join on Fable?

How do I start a book club with this book on Fable?

Notification Icon