• Paperback: 240 pages
• Publisher: CreateSpace (July 12, 2010)
• List Price: $ 11.99 US
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1453701974
• ISBN-13: 978-1453701973

Buy The Wedding Gift at:

• Amazon

Kathleen McKenna’s explosive third novel ‘The Wedding Gift’ excels in so many categories it defies them all. It is a spine-electrifying supernatural tale where a huge Southern States mansion contains one of the most terrifying, violent and indeed psychopathic ghosts to haunt any town.

It is also a murder mystery – why did Robina Willets apparently kill all five of her young children, and her husband, before stabbing herself to death?

And, if you are in the camp of believing that ‘justice …. just is not’, then this will have you frothing at the mouth with righteous social fury. Add to that the vision of two exceptionally beautiful girls lying on a landing stage in the middle of a secluded lake, sleeping naked in the sun …. …. and then see if you can find any consecutive ten minutes in this book when you don’t at least snicker at the heroine Leeann’s sly, caustic, sometimes-knowing sometimes ‘too stupid to live’ commentary.

The Wedding Gift is a mix between the paranormal and mystery, all told by small town Oklahoma girl Leeann Worthier. Leeann is the local pagent Queen, the self proclaimed “prettiest girl in town” who ends up with George Willets who is the heir to the richest family in town.

The very same family who had tragedy strike them, in turn Leeann’s family as well. George’s aunt Robina went off the deep end, killed her husband, her five children, and finally herself. For years the local teens have been afraid of this mansion, one night ending in the tragic death of Leeann’s brother. But everything in this small town isn’t always as it seems, Robina isn’t as dead as everyone thinks she is.

Before I read The Wedding Gift, I skimmed the reviews on Amazon. All 9 reviews were glowing, saying Leeann was hilarious. I read it, halfway through I was wondering if any of these reviewers were reading the same character I was.

While I loved the idea behind the story and the twists towards the end, Leeann brought it down. Leeann was not funny, she was shallow (I’m so much prettier then this girl) & her “snark” came off more like airhead babble to me. I can’t even put into words how much she turned me off & it’s a shame because the storyline was great but I couldn’t hack hearing it from Leeann’s point of view.

I would have loved to have read this exact same book but told by anyone BUT Leeann, Robina’s side of the story would have been amazing. It would have made the story a bit more darker, I really wanted more of Robina & why she was the way she was. I felt that part was skimmed over & more focus was given to Leeann’s outlook on the whole story.

Weirdly enough, I loved the ending. I loved the plot twist, I didn’t see it coming AT ALL. My mouth hung open for a few seconds & I think I may have uttered a “OMG”. But if the next book features Leeann as the narrator, I just can’t do it.