Emily's wish for a picture-perfect Christmas comes true when a magical, optimistic movie character steps off the screen to help, but as things spiral out of control, she learns that true holiday perfection might look very different from what she imagined.
After the death of the local busybody, a young couple move into her house on the notorious Maple Street. But soon, strange events make them suspect that the woman's death concealed a deeper secret.
Alison remains notoriously anonymous when critiquing restaurants for the Chicago Tribune because she never wants to be treated differently than an ordinary customer. But when she accidentally goes viral for trashing a new restaurant, her editor insists she make amends by going undercover as a prep cook for the chef she maligned.