The Recommended Reading Order for Half Moon Hollow
Welcome to Half Moon Hollow, Kentucky—a fictional Southern town where vampires, witches, and werewolves live (mostly) side-by-side with clueless humans. Created by Molly Harper, this cozy, laugh-out-loud paranormal romance universe is famous for its snarky heroines, protective supernatural heroes, and bizarre town council meetings. While you can technically read the spin-off novels as standalones, you will miss out on the rich world-building, recurring jokes, and character arcs that evolve across the books. To get the absolute best experience, we highly recommend reading the series in publication order, starting with the original Jane Jameson novels that set up the entire universe.
The Essential Prelude: The Jane Jameson (Nice Girls) Series
Before the official Half Moon Hollow spin-off began, Molly Harper introduced readers to the town through the eyes of Jane Jameson, a sweet-natured children's librarian who is accidentally shot and turned into a vampire. The Jane Jameson series (often called the Nice Girls series) serves as the foundation for everything that follows. Characters introduced here—like the ancient vampire councilman Dick Cheney and the telepathic vampire librarian herself—frequently pop up in the later books.
- Nice Girls Don't Have Fangs (2009) – The book that started it all. Jane Jameson gets fired from her library job, gets shot, and wakes up undead.
- Nice Girls Don't Date Dead Men (2010) – Jane navigates her new vampire life, her relationship with her sire Gabriel, and a murder mystery involving a local werewolf.
- Nice Girls Don't Live Forever (2010) – Jane investigates her own murder while dealing with family drama and a vampire beauty pageant.
- Nice Girls Don't Bite Their Neighbors (2010) – Jane is forced to adopt a teenage vampire spawn, complicating her relationship with Gabriel.
- Nice Girls Just Need to Know (2010) – A companion novella that gives readers Gabriel's perspective on the events of the series.
The Main Half Moon Hollow Series
Following the conclusion of Jane's core arc, Molly Harper transitioned to a broader ensemble cast under the official Half Moon Hollow banner. These books follow different couples—ranging from vampire concierges to runaway witches—but they all share the same setting, timeline, and quirky humor.
- The Care and Feeding of Stray Vampires (2012) – The official launch of the spin-off series. It follows Iris Scanlon, a daytime vampire concierge, who is forced to hide a poisoned vampire named Cal.
- Driving Mr. Dead (2012) – A novella focusing on Miranda, a driver who finds herself transporting a very demanding vampire.
- A Witch's Handbook of Kisses and Curses (2012) – Focuses on Nola Leary, a witch who arrives in town to clean out Jane Jameson’s occult bookstore and runs into a half-naked, cursed neighbor.
- Undead Sublet (2012) – A novella featured in the The Undead in My Bed anthology, exploring a funny living arrangement between a human and an undead tenant.
- I'm Dreaming of an Undead Christmas (2013) – A festive holiday novella featuring a vampire-themed Christmas celebration.
- The Dangers of Dating a Rebound Vampire (2015) – Gigi, a human who works at the vampire council office, finds herself falling for Collin, a newly turned vampire.
- The Single Undead Moms Club (2015) – Libby Stratton, a widow turned vampire, struggles to balance vampire politics with the drama of the PTA.
- Fangs for the Memories (2015) – A novella exploring a vampire memory wipe gone hilariously wrong.
- Where the Wild Things Bite (2016) – Anna Whitfield is forced to survive in the wilderness with the grumpy, ancient vampire Finn.
- Big Vamp on Campus (2016) – A novella focusing on the supernatural educational politics of the Hollow.
- Accidental Sire (2017) – Cooper, a vampire who accidentally turned a human, has to deal with the consequences and the romance that blossoms.
- Peace, Blood, and Understanding (2019) – Meadow Schwartz, a vampire under probation, clashes with Erik Weston, a rigid council representative sent to audit the local division.
- Nice Werewolves Don't Bite Vampires (2020) – Tylene McClaine, the black sheep of her werewolf pack, finds herself falling for Alex Bonfils, a vampire music teacher.
Publication Order vs. Chronological Caveats
While the publication order mirrors the chronological timeline very closely, there are minor exceptions with novellas. For example, some novellas take place concurrently with the main books or act as quick transitional stories between major installments. However, reading them out of order does not ruin the overarching plot as long as you read the main novels in the order they were published. For the best flow, keep the novellas right after the novels they were released next to, as it maintains the natural evolution of the town's background events, such as the shifting rules of the regional Vampire Council and the changing relationships of the recurring side characters.
What to Know Before You Start
Before diving into Half Moon Hollow, it helps to understand the tone of the series. Molly Harper's universe is not a dark, gritty, or brooding urban fantasy. Instead, it is lighthearted, comedic, and highly character-driven, featuring Southern charm mixed with snarky dialogue. The series is heavily built on romance tropes—ranging from enemies-to-lovers to forced proximity—but always with a comedic twist. Furthermore, the magic system and supernatural rules are relatively soft, serving as a backdrop for the characters' personal and romantic struggles rather than complex magical warfare. If you love witty banter, small-town gossip, and relatable heroines who don't take themselves too seriously, you will feel right at home.
Standalone Readability and Spin-Offs
Can you read these books as standalones? Yes, you can. Molly Harper does an excellent job of summarizing past events and explaining the supernatural lore in each book so new readers don't get lost. However, because characters from earlier books frequently reappear as friends, bosses, or annoying neighbors in later books, reading them out of order will spoil who ends up with whom. For instance, Jane Jameson’s happy ending is established early on, and watching her guide other supernatural couples in later books is a major treat for long-term fans. If you want the full experience, starting at the very beginning with Jane's story is highly recommended.