View from the House received positive reviews, with music critics praising Carnes's cover songs.

"[2] Carnes had been interested in the Nashville music scene since 1981, after hearing Rosanne Cash's album Seven Year Ache.

The head of A&R at MCA suggested to Carnes that she also record Prine's song "Speed of the Sound of Loneliness".

"[3] Carnes wrote "Blood from the Bandit", with Donna Weiss, as a reflection on "pollution, greed, and other conditions afflicting the world".

"[3] Ralph Novak of People stated that Carnes sounds "Wonderfully relaxed and justifiably pleased with herself", noting the album's ten "generally splendid tunes" including the "convincingly romantic" cover of "Crazy in Love".

"[1] In the Honolulu Advertiser, Mike Cidoni described View from the House as a "grown-up departure from [her] techno-pop style of the early 80s".

[7] Hugh Wyatt of the New York Daily News likened Carnes' vocal performance on "Just to Spend Tonight with You" to that of Bob Dylan.