Like Valery Taylor, the heroine of Shiloh Walker's Silk Scarves and Seduction, I had a serious crush on one of the guys I went to high school with. Also like Valery, I had a best friend who secretly helped me sneak things to my crush without him knowing. Luckily for him, however, the most risqué item I sent was a secret admirer love letter.

Not so for Dr. Marc Ford who is shocked--but extremely aroused--when he receives a package containing anonymous, erotic photographs, and a single silky black scarf, for his thirty-fifth birthday. Lamenting both his birthday and the fact that his office staff is completely dressed in black as a gag joke, Marc hopes against hope that the secret, sexy gift is from Valery, the girl nicknamed Blush due to her obvious pink cheeks whenever she's embarrassed. He's had a major crush on her since middle school, but there's no way he can admit his infatuation to the independent tomboy and risk rejection.

Valery had second thoughts before gathering the courage to send Marc the steamy photos for his birthday. After all, he'd have to know it was her, wouldn't he? She'd love to tell Marc she wants more than sarcastic remarks and antagonism from him, but she's not about to step out of her comfort zone without being sure he feels the same.

And he does feel the same, as we soon find out. Valery and Marc's relationship goes from casually connected to sizzling in a matter of moments once the secret of the photos is revealed. But will their intense passion be enough to transform their long-standing disagreements into a relationship that can last?

As I expected from having read other titles by Ms. Walker, Silk Scarves and Seduction has a solid storyline and she does an excellent job of remaining consistent and true to the storyline all the way to the end of the book. Marc and Valery are interesting characters who draw us into the story with humor and realistic emotions. A few elements of the story distracted me, however. At the beginning, we see Marc through the eyes of Tessa, one of Marc's staff and Valery's friend. Although it's mentioned that Tessa is married in the first paragraph and again later, seeing Marc through the eyes of Valery might have been less confusing and more immediate. I also felt that Marc cutting off Blush's clothes did not seem consistent with the character we'd come to know at that point of the story. Overall, though, the story is well written, engaging and enjoyable. With Silk Scarves and Seduction, Ms. Walker delivers another story worth treating yourself to.

Silk Scarves and Seduction shows just what happens when a secret crush gets out of control--for all the right reasons. Lucky for my secret crush that I only used my camera to photograph him at basketball games and nothing else…

Reviewed By Beth Morrow
© February 2005