Deception, by Laxmi Hariharan

Rage, a dragon shifter who can’t shift, and Pandora, an empath, are brought together by their captors. The attraction is strong, but Pandora has a mission: seduce Rage and save her brother. Can a their real emotions survive the secrets Pandora must keep?

I found this book kind of repetitive. There is a lot of push-pull on both sides with each so tempted to get close and so afraid of getting hurt. For me, this went on so long that I got lost once when my Kindle unhelpfully changed locations on me and read for quite a while before I caught myself. But even outside that, the back-forth was a bit too much for me. Aside from that I enjoyed to book when it did progress. The relationship is complex because it takes place both on the psychic plane and on the physical one, so you have to pay attention.

This is book 3 in the Dragon Protectors Series can be read out of order.

Feral, by Laxmi Hariharan

Maya, raised by shifters after the destruction of Bombay, learns at 17 that she was adopted. Leaving her boyfriend and family behind, she goes off to the city to find out about her real family. As she tries to fit in with the repressed human society, she meets a boy she instantly feels a connection with, Will Maya find her family and make a place with the humans, or will she return to the shifters and the wolf she left behind?

Feral is a good coming of age tale and we learn more about the tragedy and the world that arose from it as Maya looks for her place in the world. Feral is a great start to a new world and a solid coming of age story. Writing is well done and doesn’t distract from the plot.