Reunited on Sugar Maple Road

Mason revisits the fake dating trope—this time with a supernatural twist—in her serviceable sixth Highland Falls contemporary (after At Home on Marigold Lane). Highland Falls, N.C., police officer Em Scott has been an unhealthy workaholic since the untimely death of her fiancé, Brad. When she almost dies herself while rescuing a family from a car crash, she begins seeing Brad’s ghost—and he joins the chorus of her family and friends encouraging her to move on with her life. Em hopes that fake-dating firefighter Josh Callahan, her brother’s best friend, will get everyone off her back—and their just-for-show kisses soon spark a real attraction. Meanwhile, though Em is on leave from work, she gets sucked into a cold case murder related to a purportedly haunted house in town and a mayoral candidate whose ancestors might be complicit in the crime. As the case heats up, it poses a threat to Em and Josh’s budding relationship—so much so that a ghostly presence appears to Josh warning him that Em’s in danger. Mason deploys romance tropes competently and the injection of supernatural and mystery elements freshen things up a bit. Series fans will be pleased to revisit this quaint small town.Agent: Pamela Harty, Knight Agency. (Sept.)