Any Two Can Play

by Elizabeth Cadell

Natalie Travers had only just had her house in Brighten converted into flats, and installed five sets of tenants, when her younger brother Julian sent her an appeal for help. Newly deserted by his wife of one year, he was finding it impossible to cope single-handed with his work, with the running of the house and with the care of his baby twins, Rowena and Randall. Natalie’s elder brother, Maurice, and his wife Freddie, were strongly opposed to Natalie’s going to the rescue. She herself realized what she had undertaken when she reached Julian’s house and found babies’ garments strewn on sofas and chairs, jars and tins of baby food on the mantlepiece and the remnants of Julian’s meals on the table—but she assured herself that as soon as domestic staff could be found to take over, she would be free to go back and resume her own life. But Julian made few efforts to find staff, preferring as Head of the Music Department of the famous public school, Downinghurst, to concentrate on his beloved music and on his other great love, golf. Natalie’s plan to return to Brighton as soon as possible proved over-optimistic. Not only the impossibility of leaving the twins, but also her meeting with the attractive Henry Downing were to detain her longer than she had expected.

Genres: Fiction, Romance, Audiobook

270 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1981

About the author

Violet 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.

Reviews

[Naksed]

HAIKU BOOK REVIEW: Any Two Can Play, by Elizabeth Cadell

More of a small town
chronicle than a romance
but very charming :)

[Abigail Bok]

In the later stages of Elizabeth Cadell’s career, gone were the glamorous locations, the Parises and Portugals. She stuck closer to home, with cozy affection growing without much drama between a couple of nice, reserved English people. Any Two Can Play is one of her late books, and it flows along like a lazy stream.

Natalie Travers has two very selfish brothers and a grasping sister-in-law. She used to have two grasping sisters-in-law but one of them gave birth to twins and then decided domestic life wasn’t for her, so she hightailed it and Natalie’s brother, not prepared to be saddled with twins either, summons her away from her life to come manage his. I know people like this—in fact my life has been derailed on more than one occasion by such demands—so I took to Natalie immediately, though she is far less bitter about the whole thing than I have been. Hint to selfish family members everywhere: you can’t just outsource all responsibility for vulnerable loved ones to the nearest stray female! Okay, rant over.

Natalie goes and does the right thing, but in her quiet way she does all she can to make her enslavement a temporary condition. She loves the twins but sees no reason to remain trapped in her brother’s home twenty-four/seven; and soon she encounters a cheerfully lighthearted man who takes an interest. He’s a classically Cadell hero, good-humored and helpful, and I wanted this couple to find their way to a happy life.

Cadell’s books are good, clean, harmless fun, perfect in these high-stress days for an escape into a world that is only manageably complicated, full of eccentric secondary characters and basic decency. Easy charm is just what I need right now!

[Claire]

Light and breezy! Loved the characters and the setting in a little school town. Everyone could do with a little more Elizabeth Cadell!

[Kathryn]

Much as I enjoyed Cadell's "The Toy Sword", I couldn't get absorbed in this one. I chose it because of the one-year-old twins, but they served mostly as an excuse to get the heroine out into the countryside and for her meet-cute with Mr Apparently-Right and seem rather more a footnote in the daily chapters, easily out of the way with naps, babysitter or, in one case, left in their playpen in the yard while our heroine goes next door for a quick tour of the neighbor's house (really?!) Cadell can write with wit and charm, but I just didn't really connect with our leading lady or man and find myself forgetting about the book. Back to the library it goes, though I do intend to try Cadell again.

[Terri]

2025: I find myself reading Ms Cadell's books at least once a year. They don't wear out.

2024:An enjoyable read. Loved the statement "Freddie felt strongly that a natural appearance was only permissible, only really effective, it if was artificially produced."

And this book was written over 40 years ago.

2023: Still a good read.

[Gerrie]

3.5 out of 5 stars

[Maria]

Ms. Cadell writes very sweet romances without her main characters jumping in and out of bed or making any hasty decisions. She builds the relationship more slowly than most authors of today and I really enjoy her books. This book is no exception. There is a lot going on in Natalie's life. She is busy and relatively happy in spite of her brothers. When she meets Henry, she deals with him cautiously, occasionally bursting out with advice although she knows better, having been the recipient of unwanted advice so often. I liked her propensity for fixing things and was very happy that she helped Mrs. Swayze. Henry's aunts nearly drove me crazy, however. I figured out Mrs. Wray's secret fairly early on and had no problem with that, but her two sisters on the other hand . . . I'm just glad I never had to deal with either of them.

[Debby]

I thoroughly enjoyed this sweet light-hearted romance, although I would say it did seem the sweethearts fell in love with little time to get to know each other. I was sorry to see the story end and I hope to read more of Elizabeth Cadell's work in the future. (owned large-print copy)

[CLM]

My review: http://perfectretort.blogspot.com/202...

[Saralyn]

I love the slow pace and variety of characters.

[Valerie]

A set of twins and their father are abandoned by the wife and mother. It sounds bad, but it is even worse because the father is a musical genius, eccentric, and rather absentminded. Julien sends an SOS to his sister Natalie, who comes to his rescue just until...someone else can be found. In a parallel story, a young gentleman returns to his home town, bringing his young step-brother to learn how to be a Downing. He will close their estate, but...he encounters that woman and her twins. What about: the golf course clubhouse? Julien learning to stand on his own two feet? The house in Brighton and all its flats? The East Indian lady in the cage? The housekeeper found by the town busybody? The husband of the young gentleman's aunt? The other aunts? It is a tangled web, I must say.

[Michele Frazier]

Miss Natalie Travers arrives in Downing, England to take care of her brothers twins after his wife leaves him. She lives in the shadow of a lovely old estate owned by Henry Downing. Henry has not lived at home in many years, but when his Italian half brother needs a new boarding school, Downing is his choice. Looks like Henry is falling in love not only with Natalie but the twins as well. I rather liked Henry, this character is more sensitive than the last three men in Cadell's novels. All in all a good read.

[Lora Elisabeth]

3.5 stars

Quick, easy, light, cozy read for a lazy Saturday. Rather predictable though. Odd that Natalie kept leaving her one-year-old twin niece and nephew completely alone in the house and garden and even in the car at night. Yet she was working so hard trying to find them a suitable babysitter. Perhaps they didn't need one lol.

I did enjoy reading it though I don't think I liked it enough to seek out any more by this author.

[Tracey S Choat]

Not her best work but readable

I began reading and enjoying Cadell's books 50+ years ago. Simple books about every day people but usually with a surprise. This book was somewhat boring.

[Marylou]

Love her books

Elizabeth Cadell wrote charmingly light romantic novels, among other things. This book is a great example of her work. I enjoyed it very much.

[Jocelyn Friesen]

4.5/5

[Alana/MiaTheReader]

I love Cadell and have enjoyed all the other books I've read by her, but this book is sawdust.

[Nancy]

One of the best Cadell books I've read so far. I really like the verbal interactions between Natalie and Henry.

[Sharon]

Another charming book by Elizabeth Cadell. Always comforting, full of whimsy, and one of my favorite authors from times gone by.

[Mara]

⭐️ 3,5/5

[Heather Nossaman]

Very mild rom com type story, very much like D.E. Stevenson but not quite as good

[ValeReads Kyriosity]

Just so-so. The romance was meh. No conflict or tension to make it grippy.

[Ashley]

It’s enjoyable. But it’s not Elizabeth Fair or D.E. Stevenson.

I particularly enjoyed Henry and Natalie’s interaction.

[Susan]

I enjoyed this book very much, it flows easily and the cast are well drawn and interesting. However I admit it was hard to believe this book was written as recently as it was (early '80s). The two things that struck me as unlikely were that Natalie's father could have willed HER the family home and the mother was basically left to live with one or another of her children. This was unremarked upon and taken for granted but in my world this would have been a Major Issue had it happened to anyone I know. Anyway that was minor compared to my other problem. Young Leo is 8 and has a mother and yet his much older step brother makes all the decisions? Including sending him away from Italy, and his mother, to a boarding school in England? Really shook my head a lot at that one!

And yet these plot points aside I liked this book, loved Natalie and Henry and "Mrs Wray" and even the terrible older sisters! I'd actually really recommend this one to those considering delving into a Cadell!

[Miriam]

The story was fine, but the way the Indian and African characters are presented is pretty racist. Or perhaps it is the way that the other characters talk about them that bothered me. I don't know how I missed that the first time. Plus, there are perhaps a few too many odd relations, although at least the hero and the heroine comment on it.

[Karen]

Audiobook reread - excellent!

[Sharon Stine]

Fun one-day read as usual wonderful characters

[Bookworman]

One of Cadell's more entertaining stories. A delightful second read.