We Are Not Blood

Annover Park, Book 1

By: Nicole Scarano

Narrated by: Sarah Sampino, Jonathan Davis

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

Anson: A 36-year-old sheriff on his way to a meeting.

Quinn: A 21-year-old student returning to her senior year of college.

Ava: 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 series. 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 slow 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 three.

©2025 Nicole Scarano (P)2025 Podium Audio

The female narrator was terrible

Honestly, I couldn’t get through it.
The male narrator was good but the female voice talent was awful.
Rushed and whiny. She was clearly “reading” rather than “telling” the story.
Her reading of the male parts was so bad and distracting- I just couldn’t continue.
The story seemed good.
The dialogue wasn’t 5 stars but…
I’m going to read on kindle.

Found Family, nature attacks!

Mother nature is vicious and unforgiving on a good day, she gets her revenge in truly horrifying ways. The strength and heart that Quinn has to be able to take the time to save Ava, and continue to care for her was beautiful. Anson is cynical and closed hearted but keeps his girls safe against all odds, learning to love again and trust others will at times hurt and amaze you while listening.

The narrators made this story feel real, which made for an enjoyable and terrifying listen. Anson's voice was haunting at times, really grew to love him and his story. Quinn's voice at times broke my heart, but the passion and story telling was addictive.