About the Book

Book: The Curator’s Secret

Author: Denise Weimer

Genre: Contemporary Romantic Suspense

Release date: March 1, 2025

It’s taken six years for Lacey Colbert to escape the heartbreak that caused her to disappear from Golden Isles Christian Camp and the life of her summer sweetheart, Trent Stevenson. Then a museum curator job at a Gilded Age resort lures her back to Georgia’s Jekyll Island. Lacey finds Trent no longer an employee in his dad’s lawn care business, but director of landscaping right in her historic district.

Winter Haven cottage’s century-old mystery of a vanished fiancé compels Lacey to settle her own past with Trent. Just one thing stands in the way … the fact that someone else likes uncovering secrets, too—Lacey’s. And her unknown foe won’t hesitate to use them against her.

Click here to get your copy!

My Thoughts:

This story packed quite a punch. Between secrets, revenge, forgiveness, family drama, and even a stalker. There was a lot to this deceptively smaller story.

Six years after Lacey Colbert's heartbreak, she finally has her dream job. To be the curator on the historical resort of Jekyll Island. However, not only has her troubles followed her, but she also runs into her ex-boyfriend, Trent, who previously she ran from, taking a big secret with her. They have to work together now. Things are a bit stressful to say the least. Lacey has a stalker who has followed her and causing quite a bit of trouble for her, but also Trent not only is still interested in her, but he also has some questions about the past he would like her to answer.

All of this drama takes place with the backdrop of Jekyll Island and its own history of another young woman and her fiancé that were tragically torn apart. As Lacey delves into their story, she finds hope for her own. Not only are emotions running rampant and secrets being unleashed, but a hurricane is barreling down on them. Like I said, a lot was going on that had me turning those pages as fast as I could.

I received a copy of this novel from the author. I was not required to post a positive review, and all views and opinions are my own.

About the Author

Denise Weimer writes historical and contemporary romance from her home in North Georgia and also serves as a freelance editor and the Acquisitions & Editorial Liaison for Wild Heart Books. A mother of two wonderful young adult daughters, she always pauses for coffee, chocolate, and old houses.

More from Denise

When Secrets Lead to Suspense…

The Curator’s Secret is a bit of a departure from the historicals I’ve been releasing over the past year—not only in that it’s contemporary romantic suspense, and released independently rather than through a publishing house, but in its theme and setting.

Have you ever found yourself unable to keep a promise you made with the best intentions? This could happen due to unforeseen circumstances, mistakes, or information you didn’t have when you offered the pledge. The inability to follow through may break our heart, haunt us, and sever relationships. Secrets can do the same thing, stealing our ability to live authentically, blocking our blessings, and creating a stockpile of lies.

Broken promises and secrets choked the life from Lacey and Trent’s youthful romance six years before the hero and heroine of The Curator’s Secret are reunited when Lacey takes a job as a curator for a historical complex on Georgia’s Jekyll Island, where Trent, unbeknownst to her, is the landscape director. Rather than the restart Lacey expects with her new career, God brings her face to face with her past—not just her first love, but also her grad school stalker who has somehow followed her to the remote island. As the threat escalates, the tale Lacey uncovers in Winter Haven Cottage of a vanished fiancé seems to parallel her own tragic romance…and possibly offer answers and healing. If her past doesn’t destroy her chance of happiness first.

The Curator’s Secret was originally written as a time slip or dual time period novel. It was my mom’s favorite story and my agent’s favorite story I’ve ever written! But somehow, we couldn’t find a publishing home for it. So at last, I’m releasing it myself to my readers who enjoy stories of faith and unique Georgia history. Even though I made the decision to pull the historical backstory out so as not to slow the modern suspense story, the history of Jekyll Island is paramount to the plot. And BONUS, I also have the historical tale of William and Clara that I can share separately to anyone who emails me from my website with their Amazon receipt number for their purchase of The Curator’s Secret.

I’ll close with a fun fact. My mom and I love to take research trips when I’m gathering info for my novels. We enjoyed a beautiful stay at Jekyll for this one…until a hurricane came roaring up the coast! We had to hightail it out of there as workers boarded up the historic district. The eerie sense of impending doom sparked my idea of having a hurricane crescendo with the action in The Curator’s Secret. Imagine being trapped on an island with a storm and a stalker both bearing down on you! That’s exactly what happens to Lacey at the end of the novel. I hope you enjoy this exciting tale of redemption and romance.