The vivid intensity of A Discovery of Witches meets the small-town vibe of Virgin River in this paranormal romance about two strangers bound together forever.
Rejected by his own people in Transylvania, Old-World vampire Vasile Lazăr is given a chance to remake himself within a hidden community of Vârcolac. But he struggles to fit in with a modern culture and unfamiliar language, and he’s nearly overcome by the awakening of a searing hunger for one special woman.
Cut off from the mating urge by his old masters, Vasile never had much interest in females. Now he’ll push himself past every limit to earn the love of a softhearted Dragon woman.
Orphaned as a baby, idealistic lawyer Corky Disdale yearns for a family, but she always blows it by picking the wrong men. And now she’s doing it again. The towering, somber Vasile, although kind, meets all her criteria for a typical Man Mistake.
Then one night a gang of murderous witches tries to abduct Corky for a secret she unknowingly carries, and Vasile nearly dies protecting her…but his rash actions end up trapping Corky in her worst nightmare.
With any chance of happiness drifting farther out of reach, Vasile fights to connect with Corky, to prove his devotion even if he doesn’t have the words.
But will his unique style of caring be enough to give them a fresh start before old threats rip them apart…?
HALF-MOON RISING is a slow-burn romance full of passion, tears, laughter, and all your favorite characters from The Community Series.
Content guidelines: contains profanity, violence, and adult situations.
Tracy Tappan is a bestselling and award-winning author and the creator of the Choose A Hero Romance™ reading experience, a brand-new concept in storytelling where the reader controls the ending. You can find out more about this exciting new trend at www.chooseahero.com.
Tracy’s books in paranormal and military romance have earned both bronze and gold medals in the Readers’ Favorite contests, have finaled for the USA Book News and Kindle Book Awards, and won both the HOLT Medallion and the Independent Publishers Book Award (IPPY) bronze medal for romance.
Tracy holds a master’s degree in Marriage, Family, Child Counseling (MFCC), loves to play tennis, enjoys a great glass of wine, and talks to her Labrador like he’s a human (admittedly, the wine drinking and the dog talking probably go together).
A native of San Diego, Tracy is married to a former Navy helicopter pilot, who retired after thirty years of service and joined the diplomatic corps. He and Tracy currently live in Rome, Italy.
Visit her website and join the gang on her monthly newsletter for giveaways, publication updates, and other fun and sexy news. www.tracytappan.com.
When is the next bus heading down to Ţărână? I'm going to be on it! Seriously, Tracy. If Ţărână was a real place, I'd be living there. Okay, I'd be living there in the hope I'd be dating one of those hot, possessive males. *fans self* Vasile thinks he is not worthy of the beautiful Corky. Corky is unsure if she wants to stay, but she is drawn to Vasile. Um, hello, who wouldn't be. Their chemistry and daily interactions are sizzling and awkward at times. This couple was so entertaining to read about. They're one of my favorite couple in this series. Now, can we talk about Reese? WTH! The man is his own worst enemy. I can hardly wait to read more of him. When he did that one thing at that one place, and that one thing happened, then that other thing. Yeah, I need more of it. Who am I kidding. I just need more of the Community Series. If you haven't read Half-Moon Rising, I strongly recommend you do. This is in my top five for the vampire series.
Finally the next installment of the Community Series!…. and Ms. Tappan did not disappoint! Vasile is both funny and endearing with his just learning the English language & naivety of the modern world. Pole pressing!! I cracked up! The side stories and characters also made this book seem long to me, which i love! Every time I thought it was about to end, the book kept going…which i loved! I cannot wait for the next one!
Tracy Tappen's books are like having presents under the tree, or an unopened box of your favorite chocolates -you can't wait to dig in- but you also want to hold off as long as possible to savor the feeling. So I sat on Half-Moon Rising for a day or two before my self-control broke and I started reading. And bam, right from the get go I was blown away. I believe that a good book has to immediately suck you in. Well, Half-Moon Rising not only does that, but it whacks you over the head, kicks you in the funny bone, and makes you wince (but in a good way) like you've sucked on a tart lemon candy when you were just expecting a cherry one. Literally, almost every scene in the first chapter is an "oh shoot" moment for the main character, Corky, from a betrayal by her jerky boyfriend, a humiliating legal performance, and even an unexpectedly cringe worthy moment involving her undies:-) Is it any wonder she felt she "..made people uncomfortable...outright repulsed people..." I have to admit, even I was a little underwhelmed by the main character's personality and life choices. But little did I know that I was being expertly manipulated into initially disliking Corky. Well played Ms. Tappen, well played. Let me digress for a minute with some backstory: Basically, Tracy Tappen's paranormal romance series, The Community Series, follows a race of underground "vampires" on the brink of extinction. But when a certain set of genetically compatible women/men (containing markers from an ancestral line called Dragon) are discovered that could reverse this trend, the hunt begins. As you can imagine, it's not as simple as boy meets girl and voila, a race is saved. The four books preceding Half-Moon Rising lay an awesome groundwork for all the battles this race has had to endure just to survive. But back to Corky now. Once you find out that Corky has those "special" genetics, everything falls into place. You can't put a square peg into a round hole as hard as you try. She's been fighting an uphill battle all along as demonstrated by all her unfortunate mishaps shown through story flashbacks. A job with offer to relocate underground presents a new opportunity to start anew. Little does she know her genetics play a part in this new opportunity. I also love our intro to Vasile Lazar, the male character in Half-Moon Rising. A little different from the other underground "vampires", he was raised above ground in the Carpathian Mountains in a group called the Moon-Riders -having little contact with the modern world - and where the taint of "humanness" in his blood often caused him to be shunned. He is a new transplant to the underground community as well and is having a hard time fitting in (imagine new town, new rules, new language). His scenes are written so creatively - we get to literally experience his POV through punctuation. (Basically < > is used to demonstrate translations from his Transylvanian language to English, and - (gaps in sentences) to show words he doesn't understand.) What a simple and clever way to get you into Vasile's head- I love it! But the real fun begins when Vasile literally wrestles Corky to the ground during her "orientation" session. Let's just say 1st impressions are everything. "....Enter, stage left-a man with drooling fangs bent on eating her..." Hee hee... The bulk of Half-Moon Rising takes place in Tarana, the underground town, where Corky and Vasile get to know each other. I couldn't stop laughing half the time as we see the interactions between the two-especially due to the advise Vasile gets from his friends on how to woo her. The book is a nonstop adventure story. The town of Tarana comes to life. We meet several characters from previous Community books, follow the adventures of some of the new troublesome humans in town, and meet an old enemy threatening the very existence of the town. But overall, the story is about Corky and Vasile finally fitting in and resolving some unfinished business from their previous above ground lives. And while there is a HEA in the main storyline, only this author could end the story with not just a plot tease, but a catch 22 situation for one of the characters:) Half_Moon Rising is well, well, worth reading. I don't think there is a better story teller and writer than Tracy Tappen. And if this genre isn't your thing, I highly recommend you check out her other series: Wings of Gold (Military Romantic Suspense). You won't be disappointed.
It’s been a while since I read this series, and looking up the books, it’s been a while since one was written, so I quickly ran through the previous books. It’s not really necessary to read in order, but some of the storylines will make better sense. And I promise you they are worth the time.
*There are triggers in these books that might upset a few people, so my advise is to read the warnings before heading in…..
Corky “Catherine” Disdale owes her life to Mary, her foster mother, who took her in and raised her with love and a strong sense of justice. So when a big company comes knocking on her foster mother’s door for her land, Corky takes up the gauntlet to defend her. She’s also on a high from receiving a job offer from a top law firm, so winning this case with have double the joy……
Vasile Lazăr, is an old world vampire, he’s now trying to be a warrior in his new town of Ţărână. But trying to fit in is proving hard, the language barrier and customs of this new town is daunting, but he’s determined to fit in and find a balance in his new life. I have to admit the way the author wrote Vasile was a little strange at first, but once you get into his headspace, Vasile’s language and thought process is easy to follow.
But things don’t go Corky’s way…. Her boyfriend dumps her whilst defending her client, her new job vanishes, and it looks like the only home she’s ever known will be sold out from under her foster mother!! Can her day get any worse? Not gonna lie, I soooooo wanted to 🤜 his lights out!!! Man, was he an annoying a$$!
Vasile and Corky meet and for him it’s instant attraction on his side, but Corky needs a little more convincing as he almost attacks her!
There is also another story going on with another new member in this town Reece! And don’t forget the enemy haven’t given up trying to acquire women for their own males!
Corky and Vasile slowly get to know one another, he’s hoping it’s a courting that will lead to his own female, she’s not going to commit (although she’s loving the new job/friends and town she’s relocated to.)
I now remember why I liked these books. A slow burn romance with a great storyline. Characters that hold your attention till the last page. Plenty of twists and turns. We also get to meet a few new friends, and frown at the ending of the book. (Nothing bad, just leaving it open for the next book!)
Tracy Tappan is back with another installment of the beloved Community Series with Half-Moon Rising, and it does not disappoint!
The story’s opening line just might be one of my favorite book openings ever. It was laugh-out-loud funny to me and entirely too relatable, and it made me instantly love the new main character, Corky. We were also re-introduced to Moon-Rider Vasile Lazar, who made his first appearance in the previous book, Moon-Riders. Tappan does a beautiful job of weaving their story line together down in Tarana, while also giving us much-needed updates on the series regulars that we a love so much.
Although it’s clear from the start that Corky and Vasile will be end-game, I love that their story as a couple felt organic, from the mutual first date jitters to trying to figure out how to function as a couple. I loved the personal growth of Corky and Vasile as they came into their own, and I was rooting for them to overcome their obstacles as a couple throughout the book. Corky was fun, energetic, and smart, and is the perfect match to endearing, strong, and proud Vasile.
The short interaction we had with the group of witches while topside was an unexpectedly fun addition to this book, and I can’t wait to see what kind of ruckus the witches cause the next time around. I really didn’t expect Corky to be intertwined with them, so that was an exciting revelation. I’m still curious about Mary Sills and how she *must* have connections to the supernatural that have yet to be revealed… Or maybe not. I do think there is more to her than what was revealed in this book though. I’m excited to find out!
Did Half-Moon Rising make me like Hadley yet? Nope. But do I have complete faith that Tappan will have me loving her by the end of the next installment? Absolutely. Did I care at all about Reese Terrella’s storyline? Not really… though I did find his bromance with Fane to be entertaining. Is Pandra still my favorite? You bet.
Overall, it was an exciting venture back down to Tarana that was well worth the wait!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
I loved getting to catch up with my favorite characters the Community after several years of waiting. The wait was so worth it!
Tracy begins this book focusing on a few new characters and deftly weaves them into the series’ storyline. These new characters, Corky and Vasile both are at a challenging point in their lives. Corky has just suffered a very public and humiliating defeat in court and feels like her life is in ruins. Vasile is slowly adjusting to life in the Community and is frustrated with feelings of ineptitude.
It only took a few chapters to feel like I was comfortably immersed back in one of my favorite series catching up with beloved characters. Even though it has been several years since I last read the 4th book in this series, the characters and storyline are memorable.
This 5th book in the series grabbed my attention and kept me engrossed in the emotional rollercoaster these chat experience. Corky and her fellow new arrivals in the Community are overwhelmed with all the information they learn. The arrival of Vasile crashing into the conference room mid fight with another huge male in the middle of the orientation is the last straw for the newbies.
The story has unexpected twists and turns that kept my attention and fully engaged with the story.
Both Corky and Vasile develop and grow as characters. Misunderstandings and personal challenges makes their relationship colorless as both are also under the strain of what’s going on beyond a new relationship. Their pasts are both full of emotional landlines to circumnavigate as well.
I’m eager for the next book in this series!
Awesome book from Ms. Tappan and definitely worth the wait!
I was very lucky to be picked as a “Street Teamer” for this book in the series and therefore was given an e-copy before it hit the shelves. I had been looking forward to the next story of this series and it was well worth the wait.
The book continues the story of the Varcolac Vampires who live underground in their community and with their Dragon women. You don’t necessarily have to have read the books before this one, but I wholeheartedly recommend that you do. They are wonderfully different; the characters and world building keep you wanting more and more.
This is Vasile and Corkys story but you also catch-up with the other characters, which I love. You get to see how the other characters have developed within the community and their relationships.
Vasile is a Moon Rider, an Old-World Vampire, struggling with the language and fitting in with his new life.
Corky has struggled to fit in all her life, when suddenly she is thrown headfirst into the Varcolac community.
The humour sometimes caught me off guard which made for frowns and side looks..……..depending where I was!
This book read smoothly, the characters were believable (although I wanted to bash their heads together sometimes!) The underground community is imaginative and once I started this book it was hard to put down.
This story comes to an end but there are cliff-hangers which hopefully are for the next book.
I would absolutely recommend this book, actually, I would recommend the whole series.
Whilst this book is part of a series and it would probably be a better read due to have a bit more knowledge about the community and other characters that are presented in this book, it is possible to read it as a stand-alone but I feel it would be more enjoyable with the other books under your belt, (so to speak)
For those of us that have been awaiting this addition to the series, I believe you will not be disappointed. The character development is really top notch and just adds to the continuing story line that the series has already developed.
The conversations between characters were one character is not speaking the other’s primary language was insightful. Been there done that myself. I did find myself re-reading these paragraph at first because I thought I just lost focus and hadn’t read it properly. I found it helped me to understand some of the characters a little more.
I did enjoy the fact that no character, even the less savory ones where not reduced to a black and white ie either good or bad but like all of us, shades of grey, although I would still be inclined to give a few those said characters “the” look or a simple smack on the side of the head, because seriously?? lol
It was a good read, although a little slow at times, but entertaining none the less, and if you are inclined to be philosophical you could ask yourself the questions of what would I do in this situation or how I would I respond etc etc.
It’s the return of those hot Varcolac Vampires who live underground in their community and with their Dragon women. Vasile is a Moon Rider Old World Vampire who was not accepted by his community and has now been given the change of a new start living with the Varcolac. These vampires speak Romanian so communication can be difficult and they are learning to adapt to the modern world and adjusting to what is acceptable in this new world. Corky has struggled to fit in all her life and made some bad choices with her previous relationships. She has just left a particularly dominating partner who left her demoralised and lacking confidence in her own abilities. She is brought into the Varcolac community as she has the dragon tattoo that identifies her as a dragon woman. During the introduction sessions she is inexplicably attacked by Vasile which starts a whole new struggle for both of them to understand the dynamic between them and build their own confidence in their abilities. This book also brings back the characters from the previous books and it is so good to discover how their relationships have grown. It was a great build up to a very satisfying finale but of course there are also some cliffhangers for the next book too. Loved it!
There’s so much about this series that is so captivating that it doesn’t matter how long between books it is because I instantly fall right back into this amazing world as if I never left. Vasile and Corky’s story certainly fits perfectly with all these stories and will definitely capture not only your attention but your heart. The manner in which the dialogue is written lends such a strong touch of realism that you are easily drawn into their scenes together. But it’s not only their words but the emotions behind them that serve to make this a believable, and yet fascinating read. With surprising twists and unexpected turns, you will be kept glued to each page, making this a hard book to put down. The addition of the side stories only enhances your interest and enjoyment, leading you to want to know what’s coming next for these thoroughly remarkable, often enchanting, sometimes charming, and always intriguing residents of The Community.
I have been waiting for the continuation of this story and was so excited for Half-moon Rising! The fifth installation of the Community Series is about finding love and also navigating cultural differences. So many laugh out loud moments due to the characters language barrier that made my husband think I had lost my mind. Both main characters go though self doubt as they try to figure out who they are now that their previous life is in the past. The inner turmoil and struggle lead Corky and Vasile to realize exactly who they are in order to reach their happily ever after. As with the previous books in the series there are several side stories that are developing that guarantee major thing are about to happen. This make me excited for more to come. I discovered this author by accident a couple years ago and I am so glad I did as Tracy Tappan had become one of my favorite authors. I even went back and read it again!
Half-Moon Rising is the long awaited fifth book in Tracy Tappan’s Community Series.
This book is the story of Corky, an attorney from topside and Vasile, a Moon-Rider from Transylvania who is now living in Tarana. Their first meeting is not the best but eventually their romance starts to ignite. It is a bit of a slow burn, but I found it quite enjoyable reading as the couple gets to know one another and eventually come together.
There is also the secondary story of Reese Terrella, another topsider and to be honest not one of favorite characters. He is obviously going to play a major part in a future book, and it will be interesting to see if he redeems himself in that future book.
All in all, I quite enjoyed this book, but I would strongly recommend that you read the previous 4 books before tackling this one. Even if you have read them before I would recommend a re-read just to refresh your memory of all the players since they all play a part in this story.
I have been waiting for the continuation of this story and was so excited for Half-moon Rising! The fifth installation of the Community Series is about finding love and also navigating cultural and language differences. It had been a while so I did re-read the series to reacquaint myself with all the characters and stories. The language barrier is huge and I love how Tracy makes the reader understand it There weee a lot of laugh out loud moments due to the characters language barriers. As with all of her books, there are other side stories going on and she weaves them together so there isn’t awkward reading as you read the different story lines. This book was so worth the wait!
Two broken souls come together and make each other complete. She was broken topside him below. Both struggled with their painful upbringing of never fitting into their worlds. As a result this pain would carry over to their own relationship, and threatened it before it could go any farther since visible and corky couldn’t trust that the other could be the mate that they needed. But true love wins as they each allow the other to bring down their walls of insecurities and become the strong person that the other needs. Lots of twists and turns and keeps you on the edge of your seat til the very end!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Another great book in Tracy Tappan’s paranormal series brings us half blood vampire, Vasile Lazăr and human lawyer, Corky trying to fit in to their society’s when their world changes. Finding family when all you ever believed was you had no one. Not trusting yourself, let alone anyone else. Will Vasile and Corky be able to fit their lives together, find their own strength and courage or will outside influences tear them apart. Grab this world inside another world and enjoy the journey.
So worth the wait for this next book in The Community Series. The characters have such depth to them and Tracy writes in such detail that the reader is able to emerge themselves completely into the characters world. The story unfolds for Vasile in such a way that you fall in love with him more and more with every chapter plus as a bonus one gets to see further into the world of the previous books characters
HALF-MOON RISING I love Tracy's take on vampires. This series has captured my attention with its uniqueness. The characters in this book are sometimes lovable, sometimes frustrating but always entertaining. Corky and Vasile are a lovable couple that find their way to each other quickly but of course with some complications along the way. I truly enjoyed this book and the series and looking forward to more of the stories.
Tracy will reel you in if you ever pick up one of her books. I was hooked by the first few sentences of page one! I fell asleep reading each night and couldn't wait to get back to it the next day.
Tracy, keeps you engaged until the end, and I sometimes want the book to keep going. Every time I read one of Tracy's books, it's like a real movie playing in my head! Great job, Tracy, keep up the writing as I'm ready for book 6!!!
I really enjoyed reading this series, especially book 3 and 4., Looking forward for book 5 but it has disappointed me, story of main characters of this book, Vasile and Corcky , is really far fetched, boring, stretched dialogues between them are repetitive, which made me tired and to skip pages too. But rest of main characters : Jacken and his brathers, Dev, Thomall , Tony , Alex and many more, are honourable and memorable people. I just loved them.❤
Most hilarious of all books in the Community Series! Great entertainment! Five stars on Kindle!
MS Tappan out did herself in this one. All books five stars to me in her Community Series bug this one is my favorite so far. Too funny! How she keeps up with all the current and older slang is a true talent. Hilariously entertaining. Read straight through - AGAIN! 5 STARS ON KINDLE! CAN'T WAIT FOR #6!
So excited for this next installment! This unique world and characters continue to grow keeping you flipping those pages well into the night. The dialogue was true to the characters creating some laughs along with the excitement. Love this series and original twist on vampires! So glad we got another addition ❤️🙌
That was genuinely a wonderful and compelling story. I found myself deeply appreciating how authentically vulnerable the characters were portrayed, and I was moved by the way they consistently revealed their genuine selves and inner depths as the narrative unfolded throughout the entire piece.
If you've been waiting for this book in the series, you won't be disappointed. Even as you become engrossed in the lives of these characters, the unexpected turns in both the main and supporting plots will keep you turning pages. This is a voluntary review of an advance copy.
I am glad to have come across this series. I like the setting, cultural differences, characters and stories of individuals. Looking forward to reading many more in this series.
I liked everything about this book Vasile is an awesome character. Reading about how he changes with his life experiences made him almost real. I really hope that Ms. Tappan keeps this series going. It's just that good !!
I can't get over the attention to detail used in the Community Series. I love how we get to know each character and how their individual stories intertwine. I'm eagerly waiting for Book 6 in the Community Series, Curse Casters!
This book was so much better than the 3 and 4 books. I got a powerful love story, with amazing main character.Side character that ties into the story. It fixed many plot holes and made me want more books in this world.
I want to know more ! I want the story to continue. I need to find out what happens to my family favorites. I really hope that this series continues. What happens to the doctor's son ?
I really liked how this couple learned to grow together and find themselves. Sometimes romance novels miss the fact that both people need to work on their own insecurities in addition as a couple. It has some good spice, too.
I have loved reading allvthe Community Series yet this one is a new favorite. The characters, their stories and places come alive. Thank you Tracy for this new workd.