The JAK2 Cycle Series by V.E.S. Pullen

Azzie Vokaty is living a perfectly normal life in a perfectly normal small town in the midwest, dealing with a rare blood disorder alongside rude classmates and distant foster parents.Except there is no “normal” anymore, not since the JANUS-23 pandemic decimated the world’s population.And it isn’t a town, it’s a military base.And Azzie isn’t exactly thrilled with the golden cage she’s living in... moreAzzie Vokaty is living a perfectly normal life in a perfectly normal small town in the midwest, dealing with a rare blood disorder alongside rude classmates and distant foster parents.Except there is no “normal” anymore, not since the JANUS-23 pandemic decimated the world’s population.And it isn’t a town, it’s a military base.And Azzie isn’t exactly thrilled with the golden cage she’s living in.The same day that sketchy, middle-aged men in cheap suits show up at her door, new faces appear in her orbit: a set of gorgeous, identical triplets at school, and a nosy new tech at the hospital…All incredibly handsome faces. All of them seeming to pop up wherever she is.Seriously, do they think she’s stupid? less

We’ve escaped Salem, leaving behind thousands of people to an uncertain fate. The bunker is a short-term haven, providing more than we ever imagined — proving once again that Azzie and Mouse weren’t the compliant little puppets everyone believed them to be.But it’s time to leave now, to go out into the world.A world that isn’t remotely prepared for Azzie.Fear is a powerful weapon to wield, but hope? Hope is the one-eyed man in the land of the blind. Hope is the gun at the knife fight... moreWe’ve escaped Salem, leaving behind thousands of people to an uncertain fate. The bunker is a short-term haven, providing more than we ever imagined — proving once again that Azzie and Mouse weren’t the compliant little puppets everyone believed them to be.But it’s time to leave now, to go out into the world.A world that isn’t remotely prepared for Azzie.Fear is a powerful weapon to wield, but hope? Hope is the one-eyed man in the land of the blind. Hope is the gun at the knife fight.No, they have no idea what’s coming.***“Book of the Lost: AAV-07d25-11” is the third book in the JAK2 Cycle series, and you will need to read the first two books to understand the ongoing story. This is a reverse harem (#whychoose?) romance taking place years after a pandemic. Although previous books were slow-burn, this book is not. You’ve been warned!Not appropriate for anyone under 18. May not be appropriate for those above 18 either, but that’s your call. If the idea of one snarky, angry, damaged teenage girl involved with multiple 20-something men offends you, this is not the book for you. less

Wanted: Governess. Remote location. Isolated conditions. Room and board included, food plentiful, wages adequate. Must speak Polish.The job title was archaic.The description was unappealing.The ad had been running online for at least six months before Mouse found it, and she was looking for an excuse to run. She had to get out before Vernita Fox refused to wait any longer, and contacted her sons to let them know Mouse had turned up.Turned up... moreWanted: Governess. Remote location. Isolated conditions. Room and board included, food plentiful, wages adequate. Must speak Polish.The job title was archaic.The description was unappealing.The ad had been running online for at least six months before Mouse found it, and she was looking for an excuse to run. She had to get out before Vernita Fox refused to wait any longer, and contacted her sons to let them know Mouse had turned up.Turned up. Delivered to the local post office, naked and beaten, with “Mama Chandler, Hopi Rez, AZ” scrawled across her belly, stamps stuck wherever there was a strip of unbroken skin.A doctor had patched up her body, splinted her fingers, but the damage went deeper.Mouse needed time and distance. She needed a remote location, isolated conditions, and a reason to get up in the morning. She’d return to Salem eventually, keep to the bunker. She could still see Azzie, even if she couldn’t be seen on the base ever again. But she needed time.She needed to get over what had happened to her in Illinois.What happened recently, and what happened before....This is a reverse harem romance involving a female main character developing relationships with multiple male characters (#whychoose?). It contains graphic sexual content and excessive foul language. No one under 18 should read this book. Although fourth in a series, you do not have to have read the previous books (although it's helpful!). These are different main characters and a different setting. This book is much, much darker than previous books in a series about a post-apocalyptic/post-pandemic world, with themes of government conspiracies, chronic disease, and trauma. The following trigger/content warnings are an abbreviated list — the full list can be found on the author's Facebook page. If any of the following topics offend or cause distress, PLEASE DO NOT READ THIS BOOK. References: physical and sexual assault (both adult and of a minor, including coerced sex); depression, anxiety, and suicide; pandemics and pandemic deaths (in more detail than previous books); incarceration; medical violations (pharmaceutical and physical); human traffickingDescriptions (sometimes graphic, sometimes implied): grooming (specifically a child) and sexual predation; emotional abuse and neglect of a child; sexual exposure to a minor; physical violence, and dealing with injuries received, including burns and manual strangulation; the aftermath of sexual assault of a child (not the act itself); PTSD and trauma; gun violence and character death. less