It was a love story...

that wasn't supposed to be a love story.

And it started with Instagram.

Now, it will end with...

You, joining the campaign: The Buy-In. An interactive romance novel.

What to do when you meet that one person in the audience who makes you more authentic and stop selling a story?

After returning home from a book signing for her latest release, Arielle "Elle" Smith (@ElWordSmith) walks in on a surprise that is unfortunately not really such a surprise and makes a vow right then and there that selling stories is exactly and solely what she’ll be focusing on for the foreseeable future.

That is until, just a matter of weeks later, the Las Vegas-based, now relationship-jaded, Black lesbian rising author receives a business proposition from the mysterious LA-based actress/aspiring restaurateur Jae'cy Carter (@J_Carter)

...

and then some.

A serious yet funny yet suspenseful (sometimes even a bit steamy) "learning to love again" story, The Buy-In centers around two Black women, two thirty-something Millennials trying to write their next big book so as to never return to the corporate world again (introverted yet unintentionally charming Arielle), open their dream café to prove it to themselves (collected yet passionate Jae'cy), and do everything else BUT fall in love. But the heart wants what the heart wants, no matter how much one tries to fight it. No matter what the differences—beyond one being lesbian and the other (?) not, beyond one loving R&B while the other prefers rap, beyond the surface.

And so, the two women who were business colleagues then become friends. Then become…Well, you’ll have to read on in this storyline to see how this relationship develops. A slow-paced storyline…that’s to be expected in the case of those who’ve become so used to protecting their hearts and not expecting it to open up. Until they meet that one person…with the same exact crux, even if it’s dressed up differently. So yes, you might (er…will) find yourself shouting at the page (or the screen) at the two leading ladies more than a time or two (or three) for them to finally get their act together. But that’s what happens when MARKETING MEETS ACTING MEETS EVEN MORE STORYTELLING. AND WE'RE NOT TALKING CAMPAIGNS. UNLESS...

love is considered one.

One that requires selling less and being more (real), which is most times easier said than done.

And that’s just the start of this love story’s twists and turns…

Whether you go the e-book route or stick with the good ole fashioned print book (Elle-approved), you'll be immersed in an interactive experience, joining Arielle "Elle" and Jae'cy on their journey, both shared and separate. Just pay attention to the tappable links (the digital route) or the QR codes (the print route). Oh—and having a high musical IQ, especially from the '90s and early 2000s, will be another thing to make your experience the best while reading this. (So, that brings us to...Disclaimer: A lot of music references take on their own language here. Can't say we didn't warn you.)