Beatrice Prior and Tobias Eaton venture into the world outside of the fence and are taken into protective custody by a mysterious agency known as the Bureau of Genetic Welfare.
A single mother living in inner city Chicago, Brenda has been struggling for years to make ends meet and keep her three kids off the street. When she's laid off with no warning, she starts losing hope for the first time - until a letter arrives announcing the death of a father she's never met. Desperate for any kind of help, Brenda takes her family to Georgia for the funeral, but nothing could have prepared her for the Browns, her father's fun-loving, crass Southern clan. In a small-town world full of long afternoons and country fairs, Brenda struggles to get to know the family she never knew existed... and finds a brand new romance that just might change her life.
Shanté Smith has moved to Atlanta where she's the Love Doctor, a relationship expert who uses her knowledge of the male psyche to help women get what they want. Tiffany contacts her after she catches her boyfriend, Byron, in a clinch with his boss, Carla, right after he wins a competition called "The Trainee." Shanté initiates a five-step program for Tiffany while Byron seeks advice from his best friend, Gizzard. Then, Bryon consults Shanté: has the Love Doctor switched sides? And, what happens if Byron finds out that Tiffany's playing games? Can true love run without a play book?