Page 56 - Waterfall City MayJune Issue 2026

Waterfall City Book Reviews

The Mother-Daughter Book Club Unleashed
By Susan Patterson and James Patterson By Caitlin Venniker

Four old friends. One life-changing trip. Unleashed is the hilarious, intensely honest memoir
of Caitlin Venniker’s journey from Onderstepoort, the
It’s been three years since best friends Elin, Grace, Mariella only veterinary training institution in South Africa,
and Jamie got together with their daughters for a book club into the heart of private practice, with a few stops in
night that would change their lives forever. the United Kingdom and Middle East along the way.

Now, they travel to the breathtaking shores of Lake Como, It’s a story of growing up, juggling owners with
Italy, to reunite for the first time since that fateful evening. high expectations and animals with big opinions,
bluffing confidence,
Amid the idyllic landscape, quirky colleagues, cows
sumptuous food and dog- with anger issues and
eared pages of their favourite midnight emergencies.
books, it becomes clear that It’s about navigating the
the women are all keeping challenges of dating,
secrets from each other. using coffee as a crutch,
finding humour in dark
What really happened all moments, and the
those years ago? And will immense joy and grief
the power of love and that come with loving
literature finally help them animals.
to let go?
Price: R350.00
Price: R395.00

The Cleaner
The Summer I Turned By Mary Watson
Pretty
By Jenny Han Esmie is supposed to be
invisible. Just a cleaner with
The Summer I Turned Pretty a foreign accent that no
is now a major TV series on one quite has time to place.
Amazon Prime! From the Her uniform of leggings
author of Netflix’s smash- and a duster allows her to
hit movie To All The Boys explore the homes of the
I’ve Loved Before, this is
the perfect funny summer wealthy, unseen; an outsider
romance for fans of The creeping around the edges
Kissing Booth and Holly of privilege.
Bourne.
But as she sweeps through the exclusive Woodlands gated
One girl. Two boys. And the summer that changed neighbourhood, cleaning is the last thing on her mind.
everything. Every year Isabel spends a perfect summer Treading silently over the polished wooden floorboards and
at her favourite place in the world – the Fisher family’s cloud-soft carpets, Esmie gathers up the mess of broken
beach house. It has everything a girl could want: a marriages, quiet deceptions and careless failures. She tucks
swimming pool, a private stretch of sandy beach and two away their fragments, keeping them safe. For now.
(very cute) boys: Unavailable, aloof Conrad – who she’s
been in love with forever. Friendly, relaxed Jeremiah – the Because one of the residents took from her the person
only one who’s ever really paid her any attention. But this she loves most. She’s not here to clean; she’s here for
year something is different. This year, the boys seem to revenge – and she’ll get it using the weapons her employers
really notice Isabel for the first time. It’s going to be an unwittingly handed her along with the keys to their homes:
amazing summer – and one she’ll never forget . . . their own secrets…

Price: R250.00 Price: R250.00

54 Waterfall City May/June 2026