We Are Not Blood: A Found Family Post Apocalyptic

Annover Park #1

by Nicole Scarano

The Last of Us meets A Quiet Place & Annihilation in this Found Family Post Apocalyptic without zombies.

A 36-year-old sheriff on his way to a meeting.
A 21-year-old student returning to her senior year of college.
A 6-month-old baby in the backseat of her mother’s car.

Three strangers who should’ve never met.

But when the bridge all three are on collapses in a cataclysmic event, Quinn risks her life to save the trapped Ava. The baby’s mother is dead, but her rescue is too little too late. They both hurtle for death, but before the poisoned river below claims them, Anson finds them and carries the girls to the safety of dry land.

Only nothing is safe anymore. As nature mutates, each disaster more disturbing than the last, Anson feels responsible for Quinn and Ava. He promises to find them somewhere safe before he continues his solo journey south, but as weeks turn to months, the unusual trio faces two questions that will forever change the course of their lives. Is any place truly safe? And is blood the only thing that makes us family?

We Are Not Blood is the first book in the Annover Park Trilogy, a nature-based post apocalyptic. This series is perfect for fans of The Last of Us, Earth Abides, Annihilation, and The Quiet Place series (more so as the series continues). Filled with disasters, a sloooooooooow burn age gap romance (later in the series), and a literally found family, this trilogy will end on minor cliffhangers with unanswered questions until the resolution in book 3.

Genres: Dystopia, Post Apocalyptic, Survival, Romance, Science Fiction, Dark, Found Family

292 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 25, 2025

About the author

Nicole Scarano is an avid fiction reader and film enthusiast; her favorites being dystopian, apocalyptic, fantasy, and action sprinkled with a little romance here and there. She currently lives in Pennsylvania with her rescued pitbull, China (who was part of the inspiration for Kerberos in her first novel, Pomegranate). Nicole's passion for writing consumes her free time, especially when it includes snuggling on her sofa with China. Her love of writing is so strong, she even tattooed a quote from one of her stories on her rib-cage.

Reviews

[❥ KAT ❥ Kitty Kats Crazy About Books]

The beginning was ok…ish…Was easy enough to get into, liked where it was headed..

Until I didn't.

It just got weird.

Nope..

Not for me..

Think I stopped at 10%..I blame it all on the cover, it voodooed me into buying it..

[Stitching Ghost · Rating 3 out of 5]

The characters were kind of annoying and under-baked. I was hoping to get more about the big event but that part was mostly over rather quickly, my fault for expecting to get apocalyptic in something that clearly says it’s post-apocalyptic. There were a couple of good scenes and a couple of scenes that were very much in the I’ve read this exact plot-line a few too many times and I was bored with it the first time vein. Good enough to finish but not to make me want more.

[ari [gin’s vrsn 🩵] [semi ia] · Rating 1 out of 5]

dnf at 9%

i only read this for my bestie but she dnfed it so i will too.
it was lwk just boring and weird. like the age gap was 🥴🥴 wdym he’s 36 and she’s 21 🥴🥴🥴🥴🥴

i’m so sick of not loving anything i’m reading 😭😭😭😭😭

[May · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF @ 45%

The writing was amazing, but I was sick of the “oh he just happened to save them bc he had a gut feeling” “she knew she should get back bc she had a gut feeling” “her gut feeling told her __” it just made it worse unrealistic.
Also the 15 year age gap was a HUGE no-no for me.

[Chloe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, I loved this book! The dynamic between Anson, Quinn, and Ava was written so well and it never felt forced. Ahhh, I honestly loved everything about it.
Anson and Quinn each had such distinct voices, which made reading We Are Not Blood even better. I was dying to know more about Anson’s backstory with his father, but I guess I’ll just have to wait for the next book… the anticipation, haha!
I seriously can’t wait for the next ones! 💕

[Morgan Rae · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5🌟 I love an apocalyptic storyline and this did not disappoint! I loved the action and plot but what I didnt enjoy was some of the cringe dialogue between the MCs around the age gap - i have no issues with an age gap but him calling her kid bugged me otherwise I loved this and will definitely read book 2!

[Elle T. Lewis · Rating 3 out of 5]

I will lead with: this book got me out of a reading slump. I really enjoyed the story and found it engaging.

That being said, it was riddled with errors. Character development was far too on-the-nose, even going as far as repeating the exact same phrases and sentences about MMC at least 5 times in 200 pages.
2.7⭐️

But of course I will read book 2.

[Bex (Beckie Bookworm) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked this up because I fancied something with plenty of action, survival, and post-apocalyptic vibes, and this certainly delivers on that front. Almost instantly we are thrown into the thick of things with a bridge collapse and total mayhem.

Two unlikely strangers and an orphaned baby team up in an attempt to survive a series of catastrophes and strange events. Anson is a thirty-six-year-old jaded law enforcement officer whilst Quinn is a twenty-one-year-old college student studying English. They make for strange companions but these two despite Anson’s misgivings on how he will let them both down form an unconventional family of sorts. Anson and Quinn along with six-month-old baby Ava pull together to traverse the end of life as they know it. Pitted against constant threats not just from nature but also from man who has now been reduced to their basest instincts.

This was an easy read and it's the first book in a trilogy. The romance is a slow burn; this first book is more about connection and survival so we are not there yet. The action here had me glued and invested and this was very fast-paced. I appreciated the found family vibe this had going on and am excited for what's to come.

[Catheryn · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars

I was interested by the set up and the book delivered. There were a couple grammatical issues, but the story was interesting. There was some repetition in this story, but it lessens towards the end. I liked relationship between Anson and Quinn. We can tell that these two would not even be friends if the world was not ending. But, having to rely on each other, they are slowly building a partnership together. Anson keeps putting a wall because he is battling some demons and knows he is too old for her. I thought Quinn was a great character. She doesn't know anything about survival but is learning throughout the book. It was dark and a bit gruesome but I could not put it down.

It ends of a bit of a cliffhanger but nothing that is going to drive me crazy while I wait for next book.

(There is no explicit scenes in this story. But it seems like there might be later in this series)

[MyRomanceHasNoLimits · Rating 5 out of 5]

I still need to write a review!
But what can I say, I could not put the book down. And I started to read it at the worst timing!

I started the book and the next day Portugal went dark, we lost all power, phone coverage all this from 11:30 am into the night.
Picking your kids from school in a European capital without traffic lights was so scary!!! Police, firefighters and ambulances were working non-stop. My anxiety skyrocketed, not just because of the war happening in Europe, but because of this book.
But did I put it down and take a break? Nooooooo, I punished my self by continuing it, because it was a non-stop of tragedy and overcoming simple obstacles when what we take for granted is no longer available. Plus the star of the show: the found family (so heartwarming!).

Grumpy (him) x sunshine (her)
Forced proximity
Pretending to be married
Best and worst of humanity
Apocalypse without zombies
So many unaliving - "naturally" and "you threaten her you die"
Age gap - 36 years old sheriff and a college student

No spice or even fade-to-black! Oh yes, this is one of those slow burns and I loved it. It needed to be.

5 freaking ⭐

Finally, check triggers, I am European so I'm not the best person to set triggers for US readers or others

[.・✧☾ Aelin ~ Summer Hiatus! ☽✧・. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty decent book. Love me a good apocalyptic book and love that kind of stuff, and I know it's a found family type of book with a HUGE age gap, but is it wrong I kinda wanted them to get together???? Especially with Ava, it just would've been cute. But I gotta read the rest of the series so I don't know what's gonna happen. Lowkey good book though great for a The Last of Us fan.
Did not read whole book today but I don't know when I started it I read 8 chapters a while ago and then got distracted with other books, just to point that out.

[abi ୨୧]

Synopsis is giving Last of Us vibes 👀

[In Letters Plain · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars.

[Thrill-a-read · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF at chapter 12. Picked this up because I adored The Scattered Bones. I’m not sure why they opted for dual narration when the story is in the third person. I found myself hating the FMC and MMC whenever the male was narrating. The female narrator was totally fine, but overall her character was insufferable. The baby was the only part of this story I was invested in. This age gap would not have bothered me under the circumstances, but the way the MMC talked to the FMC gave me the ick.

[Rocio Ordonez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow

I usually don’t leave book reviews, but I just have to say — I absolutely loved, loved, loved this book!
It’s definitely a slow-burn story, and the age gap between the characters was handled so well. I also really appreciate that there’s no spice in this book, which is perfect for my reading preferences.

This is a beautiful story of found family. It was heartwarming to watch Anton, Quinn and Ava rely on each other, even as Anton struggles with trauma from his past. He keeps telling himself he’s not good enough for them, that he’ll just find them a safe place and leave — but the way their bond grows is just so beautiful.

Overall, this was a really well-done post-apocalyptic novel, and I truly enjoyed every moment of reading it! Can’t wait for the next book!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️5 stars!

[zoeereads · Rating 2 out of 5]

2,5✨
I love me an apocalypse story and this one was okay to read! 😇
Didn‘t clock the age gap at first, I thought she was at least a bit older and in another setting and story, I would‘ve dnf‘ed the book immediately. 👀 Here, I can get it to an instant. Firstly the slow burn is stretched over three books and there was no actual romance in the first one, which I liked! The focus was much more on working together and building trust in a horrifying situation where two strangers meet by chance and how to rely on each other and tbh if these two fall in love because they are literally the only two good people left on this planet, then so be it. Still, not a fan 😂
Unfortunately I still wanna know what happens next, so I‘ll read the next one…

[Dumbattitude · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pre-read: After seeing it so many times on insta (the author is selling it really well tbh) I'm finally starting this one

----------

It was a good book with an interesting story. I really liked the fact that the apocalypse depicted here was not the usual type of apocalypse, it was a nice change to other stories of the same genre and was really well exploited for this book. I really enjoyed reading it with all the events happening and how they were treated.

The characters were good and although I had a bit of a hard time to get attached to them at the beginning of the book, I still really enjoyed following them all throughout the story.

My only (slight) issues with this book were that the passage of time was hard to keep track of at time, there was a few instances when I didn't really that more time than I thought had passed until much later in the chapter/story, and some of the dialogue, around the halfway point of the story, felt a bit unnatural and forced but that didn't last long so I didn't really mind it.

Overall I think it's a good book with a good story and I'm curious to see how the next book will unfurl!

[AJM · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is such a good post apocalyptic romance and I love the unique take on the reason for the apocalypse.

Its fast paced and hard to put down. I loved the characters and how well they fit together and I can't wait for more of them in the rest of the series.

[Angela · Rating 5 out of 5]

To say I loved this story is an understatement.
I loved it.
I can't wait for the sequel.

[Lauren Kelley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lots of fun but my word she cried a lot.
So much.

[Ellie Collins · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyable read!! Very quick paced, predictable with the type of story it is & felt the ending was extremely rushed. I am intrigued to see where the next one goes tho

[Tohfaaa · Rating 4 out of 5]

4⭐

this book remind me of Netflix series sweet tooth but it’s so much different then that

[Eryn P · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had to write a review for this instead of just giving stars because last night I had a nightmare based on this book.
It got into my brain so severely that I dreamed myself into the situations in the book but it was in my world. Nicole... bravo.

[Mrs Crossley · Rating 2 out of 5]

So, We Are Not Blood had such a killer premise. Nature turning on humanity? I was fully ready for chaos, horror, and a little poetic justice. Instead, I got stuck watching Anson and Quinn stumble through the apocalypse like it was a group project gone wrong.

They meet during a seismic event and instantly decide to trust each other completely which, sure, okay, trauma bonding is a thing. But then Quinn spends way too much time obsessing over finding her parents when, let’s be honest, basically everyone else on the planet is already toast. Then she spirals into nonstop guilt about catching feelings for someone old enough to be her dad. Girl. Priorities. The world is ending, not hosting a morality play.

And the icing on this rapidly collapsing cake? When Anson is literally bleeding out and dying, she’s still in her own head worrying about herself. Like, hello? Maybe try helping the man who’s keeping you alive instead of throwing yourself another pity party. Selfish ass.

By the last half, I was skimming just to reach the finish line. Every decision they made felt painfully stupid, and the supposed tension turned into monotony. Even with the world ending, I was yawning into the void.

Two stars for the effort and the premise but wow, this one made me root for Mother Nature 🌿

[Brianna Peterson · Rating 5 out of 5]

After reading this again on 1/19/2026, I’ve updated my initial rating from 4.75⭐️ to 6⭐️ cause this was even better the second time!

6⭐️ This really gave me my fix of ‘The Last of Us’ and I loved every second of it. I think Quinn and Anson make a good team, they were able to overcome danger together and become a stronger pair for Ava. I think Anson’s determination to leave her due to his survivors guilt really made him a complex and awesome character, and Quinn really grew into a strong/badass Mom. I devoured this in a matter of days and I cannot wait for the next one. I will be surviving off of the highlighted romance crumbs I was given until January 2026!

[scarlett london · Rating 4 out of 5]

the only people I trust to survive an apocalypse with: joel miller & anson ford (so basically pedro pascal) <3🥰

[Phoebe · Rating 5 out of 5]

SUMMARY:
A 36-year-old sheriff on his way to a meeting. A 21-year-old student returning to her senior year of college. A 6-month-old baby in the backseat of her mother’s car. Three strangers who should’ve never met. But when the bridge all three are on collapses in a cataclysmic event, Quinn risks her life to save the trapped Ava. The baby’s mother is dead, but her rescue is too little too late. They both hurtle for death, but before the poisoned river below claims them, Anson finds them and carries the girls to the safety of dry land. Only nothing is safe anymore. As nature mutates, each disaster more disturbing than the last, Anson feels responsible for Quinn and Ava. He promises to find them somewhere safe before he continues his solo journey south, but as weeks turn to months, the unusual trio faces two questions that will forever change the course of their lives. Is any place truly safe? And is blood the only thing that makes us family? Filled with disasters, a sloooooooooow burn age gap romance (later in the series), and a literally found family story.

REVIEW:
We Are Not Blood is the first book in the Annover Park Trilogy and it on of my all time favorite book by Nicole Scarano. This is a found family post apocalyptic slow burn romance about Sheriff Anson Ford who was on his way to a meeting, senior college student Quinn on her way back to college and a six-month-old baby in the backseat of her mother's car that meet when the bridge they are all on in different locations collapses in a cataclysmic event. All three of them have to survive on disaster after another together while also trying to survive attacks from other survivors that have let what happened make them into animals with no morals. The moment that Anson saved Quinn and Ava just before they were about to plummet to their death was an intense and emotional moment had my heart racing. It was such a terrifying moment when Quinn witnesses what the toxic river water was doing to all the people that were trying to escape to safety.

Whenever Anson would tell Quinn that he was only staying with her and Ava until he can find a place to safely leave them were frustrating moments since they were only safe when they were with him. There were several intense moments when Quinn and Ava were alone trying to survive while Anson was also alone hoping that they were safe so he could find them. It was such a sad and emotional moment when Quinn finally got to her parents but unfortunately they were no longer alive which completely changed her forever. I fell in love with Anson just like Quinn is starting to by the end of the book when he saves her yet again from another bad situation. Quinn is an amazing young woman that save and has become a mother to baby Ava even though they share no blood ties. Nicole Scarano delivered a page-turning novel that with every page had me gasping in surprise, shock and left me so emotional with an ending that had me wishing that it was already 2026 so I can get my hands on book two Not Of My Flesh.

[Kendall {Book Crazy} · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love post apocalyptic books and I’m always looking to read more of them! I discovered this book when I was on Instagram and it sounded amazing and my kind of read, so I grabbed a copy and read it as soon as I could! After reading, I can say that I loved this book! The plot had me hooked right from the first page and it only took me a few sittings to read because I didn’t want to put it down until I had finished reading! I did try and take my time to make it last longer, but I couldn’t lol! Now, there wasn’t a ton of romance in this book, but it does say the romance is slow burn and it will develop more as the trilogy progresses! I can’t wait to see it progress because I know it’s going to be good from the little bit there was in this book! There was also a lot of action and suspense in the plot, which added a lot to it and made me enjoy it more! The characters were also amazing and made this book even better! Quinn was the main female character, and in this book she was young and was at college! Quinn’s life changed and she did struggle with it because the world was basically killing everyone! Quinn grew as the plot progressed and I do see her growing more as this trilogy progresses! She also became a mother in this book and she did her absolute best for baby Ava! Anson was the main male character and love interest of Quinn! Anson was a sheriff and this meant that he was a bit more equipped to deal with the end of the world lol! Anson supported Quinn and Ava and he was protective of them and wanted them to be in a safe community! I liked Anson a lot and it was clear to see that he was hiding something from his past! I hope we find out more about it as this trilogy progresses! This book was written from both Quinn and Anson’s point of views! I was hoping that it was going to be before I started reading and I’m really happy that it was! It helped me connect more with both characters and see how they were dealing with the massive changes they had both been through! It allowed me to see how they felt about each other as well! It allowed for more things to happen in the plot as well, even though Quinn and Anson spent pretty much all of the plot together! I now can’t wait to read the next book in this trilogy! It says that the next book releases in January, which isn’t that long of a wait, but it’s long enough when you’re dying for it lol! I’ll definitely be anticipating its release and reading it as soon as it does! This book thankfully wasn’t left at a massive cliffhanger! The cover for this book is absolutely stunning and I loved it as soon as I saw it! It definitely drew me to the book and made me check out the synopsis! I love how well it suits the book and what happens in it!

[Amber Amos · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enticing and exhilirating from the very first page! When I saw this book advertised a Pedro Pascal in the The Last of Us mmc vibe, paired with a compelling found family/slow burn romance plot line? I said sign me the heck up, read it in a day, and ya'll I haven't stopped thinking about it!

Summary:
"Survivors would forever describe the crack that shattered the air as the sound of the world breaking."

Quinn the 21 year old college student, Anson the 36 year old Sherriff, and Ava the six month old baby: Three strangers who's fates are about to become irreversibly intertwined. When a cataclysmic event brings all three of them together, they will fight through unimaginable disasters as nature itself turns on human kind.

Thoughts:
What a frieken ride! From page one, this book stepped on the gas (hehe..look you'll get it when you read it) and does not let up. It is heart pounding, nail biting, and just everything I wanted in a post apocalyptic book.

The characters were so compelling. You have Quinn the young, innocent woman trying to navigate these horrors
She still shows incredible courage and love stepping into the role of a mother. Then you have Anson, who's damaged and bitter. He has this devastating past that makes him closed off and brutal, but at his heart he's a protector and I just 😍. I never thought I would swoon over the idea of a man fighting to get a girl tampons in the middle of an apocalypse....but damn here we are.

Age gap romance is not generally my preference in books, but when it's as compelling and thoughtfully written as this one, I will happily recommend. For example, there is actually no romance itself in this book, you just get the framework for what is being set up for future books. The characters open up, begin to rely on one another, and become a family unit. It is extremely organic and well done.

The plot itself is fast paced and exhilirating. Slower moments are used to really build the characters and their backgrounds. Again this is an apocolyptic event book so no one is really "spared" from the events. There are some pretty gruesome, intense, and emotional scenes, but it made for a very realistic and heart wrenching read.

If you enjoyed shows like The Last of Us or The Quiet Place, I definitely recommend giving this one a try. Or if you're just looking to mix up your reading, and just want to fantasize about a grumpy version of Pedro Pascal for a little while 😏. Also I need more people to join me in the hellscape of waiting for book 2 😂.

[amy jane · Rating 5 out of 5]

“i'm not good with people. it's better this way, trust me. there's ugliness inside me, and you don't deserve that."
“and i don't agree with that. we've faced death together, and all i've seen is a good man."

★5.00★ જ⁀➴ ♡ 𝟚/𝟝/𝟚𝟘𝟚𝟞 - 𝟞/𝟝/𝟚𝟘𝟚𝟞

wow wow wow wow wow wow WOW. my 12-year long love for joel miller is a blessing sent by the gods once again! last year, i saw a tiktok about this book, promoting a story where the main character was based off joel, so of course i immediately had to pick it up. anson is so joel-coded that i fell in love with him instantly. i don't know why i have such a deep yearning for men like him, even after writing my entire master's dissertion on this specific type of masculinity. there's just something so warming and attractive about a man who is broken and refuses to face his own emotions, yet finds someone burrowing into his heart and being an exception to his rule. lord almighty, i need a man just like that!!

this story shares sooo many events with the last of us, but i didn't mind in the slightest because nicole scarano still manages to make them her own. anson getting impaled on the car was clearly joel getting impaled on the pipe at the university of colorado, with ellie having to search desperately to find medication for him. quinn being locked away in the military base was clearly ellie being locked away by david to just become a sexual object. anson storming into the medical room to help save ava was clearly joel rescuing ellie from the fireflies. and yet with all of these similarities, this book has its very own individuality, and gosh i'm obsessed.

i'm not usually overly keen on a slow-burn, but for a post-apocalptyic setting, it's perfect. who on earth would be thinking about love in such a new, destructive world? it's so beautiful to watch two people dealing with their own types of trauma and independence learning to find safety within each other and their little family. i love anson and quinn as individuals, but i love them even more together. usually i'd complain about the fmc being too dependent on the mmc, but in this sort of scenario, i think i'd be exactly the same as quinn, especially because if an older man found me and was ridiculously attractive, you bet i'm going to act like a damsel in distress just to have him looking out for me all the time.

i genuinely cannot wait to read the next book in the series and find out what's going to happen next, i don't think i'll ever have my fill of them!! ❤️❤️