"The Right Attitude to Rain" generally received more positive reviews than its predecessors. EW.com is pleased by the development of Isabel's relationship, commenting ""Hurray! An Alexander McCall Smith heroine finally gets some"" and adding that ""This affair is a welcome break from the tea sipping and moral hair-splitting that have made McCall Smith's recent novels such effective sleep aids."" BookReporter.com agrees that this is the most interesting aspect of the novel, saying, ""For the first time Alexander McCall Smith fleshes out this eccentric and delightful woman"". They also commend the philosophical material: ""Isabel's quandaries delight and pique the inner philosopher in all of us.""