Court Finds Vampire Romance Series Not Plagiarized

Judge rules Tracy Wolff did not copy Lynne Freeman's unpublished manuscript

Apr. 2, 2026 at 6:23pm

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A New York district judge has ruled that author Tracy Wolff did not plagiarize the bestselling YA vampire romance series Crave, which was published by Entangled. The lawsuit was initiated by writer Lynne Freeman, who alleged 'overwhelming and undeniable' similarities between her unpublished manuscript Blue Moon Rising and Wolff's Crave novels, including the Alaskan high school setting, a Californian protagonist with supernatural powers, and a love interest with dark secrets. However, the judge found that the similarities were based on 'ordinary words or common phrases' and 'highly generalized tropes' rather than unique creative expression.

Why it matters

This ruling is significant for the publishing industry, as it sets a precedent for how courts will evaluate claims of plagiarism in the highly competitive young adult fiction market. The decision reinforces that authors can draw from common genre tropes without necessarily infringing on copyrights, as long as their specific creative expression remains distinct.

The details

The original lawsuit was filed in 2024, with Freeman alleging that her literary agent, Emily Sylvan Kim, 'misled and defrauded' her into revising her unpublished manuscript Blue Moon Rising to allow Wolff, a 'close friend', to copy it. A Magistrate Judge initially declined to grant summary judgment, concluding that the question of access to Freeman's work and the issue of substantial similarity should go to trial. However, Wolff and Kim filed a motion of reconsideration, arguing that the judge overlooked evidence ruling out access to Freeman's manuscripts. The case was then reassigned to District Judge Colleen McMahon, who read multiple drafts of both novels and concluded that Wolff and Kim did not plagiarize the novels, as the similarities were based on 'ordinary words or common phrases' and 'highly generalized tropes' rather than unique creative expression.

  • On March 16, 2026, a New York district judge ruled that Tracy Wolff is not guilty of plagiarizing the Crave series.
  • The original lawsuit was initiated in 2024.

The players

Tracy Wolff

The author of the bestselling YA vampire romance series Crave, who was accused of plagiarizing Lynne Freeman's unpublished manuscript Blue Moon Rising.

Lynne Freeman

The writer who initiated the lawsuit against Wolff, alleging that her unpublished manuscript Blue Moon Rising was plagiarized in the Crave series.

Emily Sylvan Kim

The literary agent who represented both Wolff and Freeman, and was accused by Freeman of 'misleading and defrauding' her into revising her manuscript to allow Wolff to copy it.

Colleen McMahon

The district judge who ultimately ruled that Wolff did not plagiarize Freeman's work, after reading multiple drafts of both novels.

Entangled

The publishing company that released the bestselling Crave series.

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What they’re saying

“The similarities were based on 'ordinary words or common phrases' and 'highly generalized tropes' rather than unique creative expression.”

— Colleen McMahon, District Judge

The takeaway

This ruling sets an important precedent for how courts will evaluate claims of plagiarism in the young adult fiction genre, reinforcing that authors can draw from common tropes without necessarily infringing on copyrights as long as their specific creative expression remains distinct. The decision underscores the challenges of proving plagiarism in an industry where certain narrative elements and character archetypes are widely shared.