Book Review: The Belles of Desire, Mississippi (The Ghosts of Summerleigh Book 1) by M.L. Bullock

Title: The Belles of Desire, Mississippi

Series: The Ghosts of Summerleigh Book 1

Author: M.L. Bullock

Genre: Paranormal, Mystery

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What happened to Jeopardy Belle? 

Is she the lost soul that haunts Summerleigh?

Jerica Poole had no idea how quickly life could change until hers is ripped apart at the seams. After a messy divorce and the tragic death of her daughter, she jumps at the chance to fulfill the last wish of her friend, Harper Belle Hayes. The troubled nurse makes the journey to Harper's hometown of Desire, Mississippi, and immediately finds herself swept up in a 75-year-old mystery: what happened to Jeopardy Belle? When she begins exploring the Belles’ old homestead, Summerleigh, she discovers that some of the former tenants live on in ghostly form and would love nothing more than to add Jerica to their numbers. Small-town drama and a rich southern background add to the tension of this riveting, ghost-filled murder mystery.

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My Review:

I love books that are spooky and deal with ghosts. While The Belles of Desire, Mississippi by M.L. Bullock wasn't too spooky, it was still a really good read.

I loved the plot and the world building for The Belles of Desire, Mississippi. While the synopsis is mostly accurate, I never felt like Jerica's life was in danger while at Summerleigh. This novel goes back and forth between the 1940s and present day. We get to read from the perspective of Jerica and Harper in different chapters. I loved reading from both points of view. I've never been to Mississippi, but I do live in the south, and I feel like M.L. Bullock did a great job portraying the south. I felt like I was a bystander in this book, and I loved every second! There are a few plot twists which I never saw coming. A few of my questions were left unanswered, but this is a series, so I'm hoping they'll be answered in the upcoming books. One of my questions was how come Jeopardy couldn't show her sister Harper what had happened to her? Why was she able to show only Jerica, a complete stranger to her?

I really enjoyed the characters in The Belles of Desire, Mississippi, and I also loved all the Belle's names! For the most part, all of the characters were well written. The only problem I had was that I felt like Harper and Jerica should have been able to figure what the "Horrible Thing" was that Jeopardy would talk about. It was pretty obvious to me what had happened when Jeopardy's mom sent her off to do an errand. It became much clearer each time it was mentioned. I could understand that Harper, as a child, didn't really understand what was happening, but I can't believe Harper, as a grown up woman, and Jerica, another grown adult, couldn't figure out what Jeopardy meant when she spoke of the "Horrible Thing." Besides that, I loved the characters in the book. The Belle sisters were my favorite.

The pacing was fantastic throughout The Belles of Desire, Mississippi. I was enthralled with the story from the very first sentence. This whole book flowed so beautifully, and I found myself devouring this novel very quickly.

Trigger warnings for The Belles of Desire, Mississippi include minor profanities, some underage drinking, underage smoking, ghosts, death, violence, murder, and molestation.

Overall, The Belles of Desire, Mississippi is such an enthralling read. It has very likable characters and fantastic world building. While I had a few questions left unanswered, I was still satisfied with this novel. I would definitely recommend The Belles of Desire, Mississippi by M.L. Bullock to those aged 15+. This novel is definitely a great supernatural mystery!