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Out of the Rain
Book by Cadell, Elizabeth
Hardcover
First published November 1, 1987
65 people are currently reading
77 people want to read
About the author
Elizabeth Cadell
102 books118 followersViolet Elizabeth Vandyke was born on 10 November 1903 in Calcutta, British Raj, daughter of British parents, Elizabeth Lynch and Frederick Reginald Vandyke, a colonial officer. During the Great War she studied music in London, but refused a musical career and returned to India where she married in 1928 Henry Dunlop Raymond Mallock Cadell, and they had a son and daughter. After she was widowed ten years later, she returned to England.
Elizabeth wrote her first book 'My Dear Aunt Flora' during the Second World War in 1946, there after producing another 51 light-hearted, humourous and romantic books which won her a faithful readership in England and America. In addition to England and India, many of her books are set in Spain, France, and Portugal. She finally settled in Portugal, where her married daughter still lived.
She died on 9 October 1989, aged eighty-five.
Elizabeth wrote her first book 'My Dear Aunt Flora' during the Second World War in 1946, there after producing another 51 light-hearted, humourous and romantic books which won her a faithful readership in England and America. In addition to England and India, many of her books are set in Spain, France, and Portugal. She finally settled in Portugal, where her married daughter still lived.
She died on 9 October 1989, aged eighty-five.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews
March 30, 2018
Nice, old-fashioned tale of a staid, orderly, calm, city lawyer falling for an earthy, dishevelled, young, country widow and mom to three little ones. It was a compelling read, with lots of humorous moments and great world-building but I didn't find it terribly romantic, in the end.
All that build-up should have led to a bigger payoff, some show of action or emotionality in the usually reserved, stoic hero. I read love stories because I want to experience the transformative power of love. As it was,
All that build-up should have led to a bigger payoff, some show of action or emotionality in the usually reserved, stoic hero. I read love stories because I want to experience the transformative power of love. As it was,
September 2, 2016
Elizabeth Cadell's books are out of fashion now and, although our library has a lot of them, you never see them at bookstores or online.
I myself encountered them when shelf browsing many, many years ago and wound up reading all I could get my hands on. When I was reminded of them the other day for some reason, it took me another few days to even recall the author's name. And yet, I could recall many of the books individually They are gentle, sweet stories of love, rather like the romantic movies made in the 1950s and 60s.
There is something though that lifts these above that insipid sounding description I just gave. I like their settings, generally in England or Portugal. I like the independent mindset always provided for at least one protagonist, although usually against what is generally considered to be "independent" in modern times. In this book, for example, everyone keeps lamenting that the beautiful young widow is perfectly content to stay at home tending to her three children. She keeps asking these lamenters why being absorbed in her children is a bad thing, which none of them can answer except to say she should be getting "more" out of life. This quote is from the widow's grandfather, who she lives with, but sums up the underlying mentality of the novel pretty well.
In this book, when the inflexible lawyer winds up at the widow's home because it has been mistakenly been left on the bed-and-breakfast list of a small town, we know they will wind up getting together. The fun is in the gentle meandering of the plot through the case that brings the lawyer to town, the character of the widow who feels domestic chores can wait until a better time, her jealous suitors, and many other people who pop in and out of the story.
I'd probably give these books 3-1/2 stars if I could. As it is, in most cases I'll probably plump for 3 stars. Sometimes a 3-star book is good enough, especially if it is is the sort of book that is enjoyable for the moment you happen to be in. And this one definitely is.
I myself encountered them when shelf browsing many, many years ago and wound up reading all I could get my hands on. When I was reminded of them the other day for some reason, it took me another few days to even recall the author's name. And yet, I could recall many of the books individually They are gentle, sweet stories of love, rather like the romantic movies made in the 1950s and 60s.
There is something though that lifts these above that insipid sounding description I just gave. I like their settings, generally in England or Portugal. I like the independent mindset always provided for at least one protagonist, although usually against what is generally considered to be "independent" in modern times. In this book, for example, everyone keeps lamenting that the beautiful young widow is perfectly content to stay at home tending to her three children. She keeps asking these lamenters why being absorbed in her children is a bad thing, which none of them can answer except to say she should be getting "more" out of life. This quote is from the widow's grandfather, who she lives with, but sums up the underlying mentality of the novel pretty well.
I can't help feeling that people ask too much [of life]. They don't keep up with the Joneses any more--they outstrip them. What people call happiness, today, isn't happiness. It's enjoyment. It's pleasure. And between happiness and pleasure there's a very large gap.The question, I suppose, is what makes us genuinely happy. That is at the bottom of all Cadell's novels.
In this book, when the inflexible lawyer winds up at the widow's home because it has been mistakenly been left on the bed-and-breakfast list of a small town, we know they will wind up getting together. The fun is in the gentle meandering of the plot through the case that brings the lawyer to town, the character of the widow who feels domestic chores can wait until a better time, her jealous suitors, and many other people who pop in and out of the story.
I'd probably give these books 3-1/2 stars if I could. As it is, in most cases I'll probably plump for 3 stars. Sometimes a 3-star book is good enough, especially if it is is the sort of book that is enjoyable for the moment you happen to be in. And this one definitely is.
July 8, 2015
This is the first book by Elizabeth Cadell that I ever read, and it made me devour her other books. Out of the Rain is sweet -- typical of the time in which it was written -- but not saccharine. It's still my favorite Elizabeth Cadell book. I made all three of my sisters-in-law read it. If you like Jan Karon's Mitford series (which is too slow for me), you'll love this book even more.
I really empathized with the domestically challenged heroine thrown together with a straight-laced lawyer. (I just wish I could be as nonchalant about it!) All romances end in pretty much the same way. The sign of a good romance (like this one) is that, even though you know the destination, you'll really enjoy the ride.
I really empathized with the domestically challenged heroine thrown together with a straight-laced lawyer. (I just wish I could be as nonchalant about it!) All romances end in pretty much the same way. The sign of a good romance (like this one) is that, even though you know the destination, you'll really enjoy the ride.
June 6, 2021
Published in 1987, this is one of many books by this author. Most of her stories are light romances and/or upbeat general fiction stories where people are for the most part kind and generous.
In this story Edward Netherford, a London lawyer in his early thirties who's lived a sensible, well-ordered bachelor life, is storm-stayed at an acreage near York where he finds himself in the middle of a chaotic family. The grandfather, mother, widowed young woman named Estelle do their best to offer him accommodation for the night, but her two preschoolers, a teething baby, and a broken dishwasher, mean there are toys everywhere and a pile of dishes to wash. Edward has help himself, and quite often them, too.
As he gets to know them more through various encounters, their spontaneous freedom starts to undo his straight-laced attitudes and he finds excuses to return to the acreage where the company is appealing, the air is purer and the stream is clearer than the muddy Thames he sees from his small London flat.
In this story Edward Netherford, a London lawyer in his early thirties who's lived a sensible, well-ordered bachelor life, is storm-stayed at an acreage near York where he finds himself in the middle of a chaotic family. The grandfather, mother, widowed young woman named Estelle do their best to offer him accommodation for the night, but her two preschoolers, a teething baby, and a broken dishwasher, mean there are toys everywhere and a pile of dishes to wash. Edward has help himself, and quite often them, too.
As he gets to know them more through various encounters, their spontaneous freedom starts to undo his straight-laced attitudes and he finds excuses to return to the acreage where the company is appealing, the air is purer and the stream is clearer than the muddy Thames he sees from his small London flat.
April 27, 2018
Loved this book. Wanted to stay with the characters forever.
January 22, 2013
I picked up this one at the library and thought I would give this author a try. It was a little slow at first, but I was sucked in and enjoyed the slower paced story more than I thought I would.
October 14, 2015
One of my favorite books by Cadell.
October 18, 2021
2.5 stars. Cute enough story, never really captured my emotions though. It did leave me wanting to check out the author’s other books.
November 30, 2023
I’ve read this before.
Bit I did not remember all the details. It was lovely and refreshing and full of the kind of people you would like to know, though they don’t exist out of a book.
Bit I did not remember all the details. It was lovely and refreshing and full of the kind of people you would like to know, though they don’t exist out of a book.
September 27, 2023
Neat freak meets his opposite and envies the relaxed attitude, although he can still be shocked. I mean, a washing machine or dryer is thought to be broken, but...excessive lint is truly the culprit. Oh, but that is just about the romance! The meat is the three missing paintings the demanding heirs insist their neat freak lawyer retrieve from their stepmother. The result is that the neat freak and the relaxed lady meet more and more often, but how can he advance his suit when his best friend and two others are there before him? Will the paintings be returned? Will the neat freak or the best friend or the rich farmer or the antiques dealer win the lady and her three boys? Careful, if you read one Cadell book, you will be ensnared!
January 1, 2018
A woman's job is to be a mother. No arguments.
Pleasant story of man discovering there is more to life than his bachelor existence. Usual cast of Cadell characters, but it all seemed a bit subdued. The humour was pleasant, but not as witty as some of the books, nor as laugh out loud funny as the best. The characters were amusing, but not as eccentric or loveable as many of her books. I had fun reading it, but it left me rather flat. Often I struggle with Cadell's world view, but with her best books, the central couple's steadfast strength of will and goodness, not to mention the humorous plotting and whacky supporting cast, makes it possible to enjoy (or endure) the old-fashioned values. With her weaker books, and there are a few, including this one, that stodgy conservatism gets in the way of the story. Worth reading, but I didn't think it was one of her best. I'd have given it a 3.5 if possible.
Pleasant story of man discovering there is more to life than his bachelor existence. Usual cast of Cadell characters, but it all seemed a bit subdued. The humour was pleasant, but not as witty as some of the books, nor as laugh out loud funny as the best. The characters were amusing, but not as eccentric or loveable as many of her books. I had fun reading it, but it left me rather flat. Often I struggle with Cadell's world view, but with her best books, the central couple's steadfast strength of will and goodness, not to mention the humorous plotting and whacky supporting cast, makes it possible to enjoy (or endure) the old-fashioned values. With her weaker books, and there are a few, including this one, that stodgy conservatism gets in the way of the story. Worth reading, but I didn't think it was one of her best. I'd have given it a 3.5 if possible.
February 15, 2021
What a quietly charming novel. I loved the characters and the haphazard way they met and interacted, and I especially loved Estelle and the unconventional, gloriously contented household at Pantiles (Housework has to be done, but it has to be taught to wait until one’s ready to do it. Otherwise you become what’s called a slave to ceaseless labour.). That contentment is why I would have chosen a different ending for the story, but either way, I enjoyed the story very much.
June 16, 2012
Easy reading but just average
April 18, 2016
Not as good a story
July 27, 2016
Leslie, Central patron, July 2016, 4 stars:
Good story of unlikely pair falling in love.
Good story of unlikely pair falling in love.
November 9, 2023
Elizabeth Caudill, a writer of enjoyable books, no drama, no sex, no mystery. Just an old-fashioned, enjoyable book about people you'd like to know.
February 21, 2014
I love any of Elizabeth Cadell's old books!
May 17, 2024
I'm not sure this book could be any more gentle a romance if it studied hard and took a degree in Benign. Surprisingly little actually happens. Edward, a solicitor called out of town for a client, finds himself one torrential night without accomodation, and finally washes up on the doorstep of an erstwhile bed and breakfast, and - well, one of the owners is a young and lovely woman, so the math isn't hard to do. The only complicating factor is that a good old friend of Edward's lives nearby, and he - Tom - is (of course) in love with the young woman (everyone is), and Edward immediately decides he can't tread on Tom's toes. But if you think there's any way Edward won't end up with the girl ... I can only imagine this is your first book. Welcome to reading!
It was sweet; it was well-written; I liked the characters more than I expected to; it was rather slight - but it was about what my poor beseiged brain can handle right about now. (Chemo fog is a Thing.) So - yay Elizabeth Cadell.
It was sweet; it was well-written; I liked the characters more than I expected to; it was rather slight - but it was about what my poor beseiged brain can handle right about now. (Chemo fog is a Thing.) So - yay Elizabeth Cadell.
November 20, 2024
Avevo molto apprezzato 'Money to Burn', e così ho deciso di approfondire la mia conoscenza di EC, con un esito non del tutto soddisfacente. Intendiamoci, la vicenda è originale e, naturalmente, molto ben raccontata. Ma dietro la svagata e testarda protagonista vedevo aleggiare il mondo dei 'figli dei fiori', con la sua scarsissima aderenza alla realtà. E proprio perché nella mia adolescenza ho attraversato e superato quella suggestione no, la sua storia con il convenzionale avvocato non mi ha proprio convinto
September 10, 2025
I'm not sure if this is a 3 star read for me, or 3.5 rounded down because I found the part right before the ending - where there should be a climax and there isn't - to be a slight disappointment. I'm not sorry I read it, I enjoyed the characters and the setting, I found the writing to be excellent, but it didn't quite live up to my expectations.
July 11, 2021
A Delightful Respite
When "the world is too much with [me]," (hat tip to Wordsworth), there's nothing better than a few hours spent in Elizabeth Cadell's charming world of the mid-century English village.
When "the world is too much with [me]," (hat tip to Wordsworth), there's nothing better than a few hours spent in Elizabeth Cadell's charming world of the mid-century English village.
December 31, 2018
2 1/2 stars. It was well-written, but the plot was a bit tired.
July 20, 2020
Love these gentle stories. They remind me of D.E. STevenson's books. I want to read them all.
September 25, 2021
This was due back at the library, so I decided to read it with that deadline. I’m so glad I did. It was a delightful, easy read, a simple but satisfying story and romance.
July 5, 2024
3.5 stars.
February 17, 2025
Light, pleasant, a bit old-fashioned in tone. Discovered the author, Elizabeth Cadell, on the Literature-Map website. (I had entered DE Stevenson in this case.)
September 21, 2018
I admit it, if this had been the first Cadell I read it likely would have been the last! There was much about this story I liked but there was a lot more I didn't! I think this may have been her last published book and as with a lot of other long lasting authors out there I suspect it may have gotten published more on the strength of her earlier works rather than on the merits of this particular story. That said though I did care about the characters and enjoyed the story - just found that I lost patience with the way things were going more than I usually do with a more vintage Cadell.
November 20, 2025
I was delighted to find books by Elizabeth Cadell available for Kindle, and even more delighted that this was a book I hadn't read before. Cadell's books are generally of a certain type, very English, gentle love stories, usually with a very mild mystery included. This one features a staid London lawyer, the mystery of three paintings and where they'll end up, and a lovely young English widow who has three young children and a host of suitors. I always wish these books could go on for a couple more chapters to see how the romance plays out, but I'm not sure this would end so well.
January 30, 2024
Another charming Cadell. I didn't rate this one as high as I usually do, because the two protagonists got a bit tiresome; Edward the lawyer, avoiding her because his friend also loves her, and Estelle the woman, focusing only on her three children to the exclusion of everything and everyone else for most of the book. However, it does have a happy ending! The subplot of the three paintings just floats along under the radar most of the time. But it does introduce a good character, and gives Edward a good excuse for going up to Yorkshire to see Estelle.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews