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The Remedy for Love
The Remedy for Love is a harrowing story about the truths we reveal when there is no time or space for artifice.
They're calling it the "Storm of the Century," so Eric stops at the market for provisions on his way home from work. But when the unkempt and seemingly unstable young woman in front of him in line comes up short on cash, a kind of old-school charity takes hold of his heart - twenty bucks and a ride home is the least he can do, right? Trouble is, Danielle doesn't really have a home. She's squatting in a cabin deep in the woods, no electricity, no heat, nothing but the nearby river to sustain her. She'll need food, water, firewood, and that's just to get her through the storm: there's a whole Maine winter ahead.
So he gets her set up, departs with relief, climbs to the road, but his car has been towed with his phone inside, and the snow is coming down with historic speed and violence. There's no choice but to return to the cabin. Danielle is terrified, then merely hostile - who is this guy with his big idea that it's she who needs rescuing? As the snow keeps mounting, they're forced to ride out the storm together. For better and for worse.
The Remedy for Love is a harrowing story about the truths we reveal when there is no time or space for artifice.
They're calling it the "Storm of the Century," so Eric stops at the market for provisions on his way home from work. But when the unkempt and seemingly unstable young woman in front of him in line comes up short on cash, a kind of old-school charity takes hold of his heart - twenty bucks and a ride home is the least he can do, right? Trouble is, Danielle doesn't really have a home. She's squatting in a cabin deep in the woods, no electricity, no heat, nothing but the nearby river to sustain her. She'll need food, water, firewood, and that's just to get her through the storm: there's a whole Maine winter ahead.
So he gets her set up, departs with relief, climbs to the road, but his car has been towed with his phone inside, and the snow is coming down with historic speed and violence. There's no choice but to return to the cabin. Danielle is terrified, then merely hostile - who is this guy with his big idea that it's she who needs rescuing? As the snow keeps mounting, they're forced to ride out the storm together. For better and for worse.
The Remedy for Love is a harrowing story about the truths we reveal when there is no time or space for artifice.
320 pages, Hardcover
First published October 14, 2014
186 people are currently reading
2241 people want to read
About the author
Bill Roorbach
32 books212 followersBill Roorbach's newest novel is The Remedy For Love, coming October 2014 from Algonquin Books. Life Among Giants, also from Algonquin, is in development for a multi-year series at HBO, and won the 2014 Maine Literary Award in Fiction. Big Bend: Stories has just be re-released by Georgia in its Flannery O'Connor Award series. Temple Stream is soon to be re-released by Down East Books. Bill is also the author of the romantic memoir SUMMERS WITH JULIET, the novel THE SMALLEST COLOR, the essay collection INTO WOODS. The tenth anniversary edition of his craft book, WRITING LIFE STORIES, is used in writing programs around the world. His short fiction has been published in Harper's, The Atlantic Monthly, Playboy, and dozens of other magazines, journals, and websites, and has been featured on NPR's Selected Shorts, and won an O. Henry Prize. He lives in western Maine where he writes full time.
For more information about Bill Roorbach, see www.billroorbach.com, www.lifeamonggiantsthebook.com, and be sure to enjoy his blog and videos at www.billanddavescocktailhour.com. Follow him on Twitter: @billroorbach.
For more information about Bill Roorbach, see www.billroorbach.com, www.lifeamonggiantsthebook.com, and be sure to enjoy his blog and videos at www.billanddavescocktailhour.com. Follow him on Twitter: @billroorbach.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 321 reviews
December 25, 2015
I’ve been in a bit of a reading slump. It seems like I’ve caught a nasty strain of the flu virus every other year since I can remember, and I can always associate each episode with the book that I nursed in bed. A Great Deliverance was one of them, so was The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. Both books hold a special place in my reader’s heart.
This year was quite different though. I was seriously put out of commission! I spent a week and a half staring at the wall and sleeping with the TCM network tuned at all hours of the night. Reading was next to impossible! What was even more surprising was how long it took to even formulate the desire to read once I got better–this is the book that pulled me out of the illness induced slump. I was hooked from the first line:
“THE YOUNG WOMAN ahead of him in line at the Hannaford Superstore was unusually fragrant, smelled like wood smoke and dirty clothes and cough drops or maybe Ben- Gay, eucalyptus anyway. She was all but mummified in an enormous coat leaking feathers, some kind of army- issue garment from another era, huge hood pulled over her head.”
Set on the eve of the “snowstorm of the century” in Maine, Eric Neil, a small town lawyer, is in the midst of preparing for a monthly visit from his estranged wife by a trip to the grocery store. While in line, he comes across Danielle, a “ghost” living on the outskirts of town in an abandoned cabin. Through a series of events, the two end up stranded together at the height of the storm. Complete strangers, and not necessarily taken with each other, the two come to learn about themselves and each other through a forced intimacy based on circumstance.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. At first I wasn’t sure how the “suspense” part would come into play, but this really is a survival story, and I’m always a sucker for those. It was also deeply personal and psychological; it's the perfect read for a snowy day by the fire with a cup of coffee. I also couldn’t help thinking how this would make a great play or movie. Up until this book, I’d never even heard of Roorbach, but he seems to be a well-known Maine author. I’d be interested to read some of his fiction and non-fiction works.
This year was quite different though. I was seriously put out of commission! I spent a week and a half staring at the wall and sleeping with the TCM network tuned at all hours of the night. Reading was next to impossible! What was even more surprising was how long it took to even formulate the desire to read once I got better–this is the book that pulled me out of the illness induced slump. I was hooked from the first line:
“THE YOUNG WOMAN ahead of him in line at the Hannaford Superstore was unusually fragrant, smelled like wood smoke and dirty clothes and cough drops or maybe Ben- Gay, eucalyptus anyway. She was all but mummified in an enormous coat leaking feathers, some kind of army- issue garment from another era, huge hood pulled over her head.”
Set on the eve of the “snowstorm of the century” in Maine, Eric Neil, a small town lawyer, is in the midst of preparing for a monthly visit from his estranged wife by a trip to the grocery store. While in line, he comes across Danielle, a “ghost” living on the outskirts of town in an abandoned cabin. Through a series of events, the two end up stranded together at the height of the storm. Complete strangers, and not necessarily taken with each other, the two come to learn about themselves and each other through a forced intimacy based on circumstance.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. At first I wasn’t sure how the “suspense” part would come into play, but this really is a survival story, and I’m always a sucker for those. It was also deeply personal and psychological; it's the perfect read for a snowy day by the fire with a cup of coffee. I also couldn’t help thinking how this would make a great play or movie. Up until this book, I’d never even heard of Roorbach, but he seems to be a well-known Maine author. I’d be interested to read some of his fiction and non-fiction works.
February 25, 2015
(I know if you're like me you're probably sick of Goodreads spam, but here's just a wee bit of personal spam that hopefully won't irritate you: A huge Thank you to one of the awesomest Goodreads authors out there, Roxane Gay who I received this book from in her massive library giveaway; Like an ingrate I've yet to read, or own, any books of hers, but I swear I will rectify that as soon as I can because she's the coolest!)
Okay, so I receive Roxane's gift, (which I was really excited about because, although I didn't totally love Roorbach's Life Among Giants, his writing style kinda reminds me of John Irving and David James Duncan in a quirky kinda way), and again like an ingrate, promptly shelved it when the laudatory jacket blurb quotes (from, of all people, Peter Heller and David Abrams, authors with hardly any romantic bent whatsoever) confirmed my worst fears about the somewhat cheezy title: The Remedy for Love is a romance! Ack! (And not just a romance, says Abrams, who evidently wrote a novel about the war in Afghanistan, but "...a flat-out funny, sexy, and poignant romantic thriller"). Kack! Nonononono. Next, please.
Then I started feeling guilty about Ms. Gay's largesse, pullled the book off back off the shelf and stared at all that snow on the cover. (You see, here in Alabama, weather concerns are huge, and with good reason lately: even the threat of a mere tenth of an inch of snow is enough to call a school snow day--as they've done for six of the last eight days--simply because there's hardly any means to keep the backroads, or any roads, from turning into skating rinks lined with car-swallowing ditches). So, what the heck, cheezy romance or no, had to give it a try.
All my blah blah above is to mask the fact that this is a really simple story, with (essentially) three characters: Eric, an altruistic, somewhat ambitionless "small town barrister" of tiny Woodchuck (er, Woodchurch), Maine; Danielle, a transient-ish, unkempt, kinda feral woman with serious issues; and snow, shit-tons of snow, 30-foot high drifts of snow, courtesy of an upcoming 'Storm of the Century". Eric meets Danielle in the check-out line at the local grocery store (when she lacks enough money to pay for her Advil, ramen noodles, and boxes of wine) sees her hobbling on the roadway toting her heavy groceries, and, goodheartedly offers her a lift home before the storm hits.
Super cheezy, right? Surprisingly, no. Roorbach's greatest asset is sharply realized character development, and we are treated to a fascinating look at two completely disparate lives. Their chance meeting, which takes them back to Danielle's squatter cabin just barely before the aforementioned third character arrives with a vengeance, reveals the other two characters' compelling back stories.
I expected this to be a cringe fest, yet I gobbled this up in six hours, with nary an eye roll (okay, I confess, I actually teared up toward the end). Overfamiliar? Probably. (though not to me; I almost never read books like this). Embarrassingly enough, this grabbed my heart and didn't let go. (Of course, it may just be my anticipating our own 6" 'Storm of the Century' predicted for tomorrow, and living vicariously through Eric.) All I know is, this is a gazillion times better than the one Nicholas Sparks novel I read.
Okay, so I receive Roxane's gift, (which I was really excited about because, although I didn't totally love Roorbach's Life Among Giants, his writing style kinda reminds me of John Irving and David James Duncan in a quirky kinda way), and again like an ingrate, promptly shelved it when the laudatory jacket blurb quotes (from, of all people, Peter Heller and David Abrams, authors with hardly any romantic bent whatsoever) confirmed my worst fears about the somewhat cheezy title: The Remedy for Love is a romance! Ack! (And not just a romance, says Abrams, who evidently wrote a novel about the war in Afghanistan, but "...a flat-out funny, sexy, and poignant romantic thriller"). Kack! Nonononono. Next, please.
Then I started feeling guilty about Ms. Gay's largesse, pullled the book off back off the shelf and stared at all that snow on the cover. (You see, here in Alabama, weather concerns are huge, and with good reason lately: even the threat of a mere tenth of an inch of snow is enough to call a school snow day--as they've done for six of the last eight days--simply because there's hardly any means to keep the backroads, or any roads, from turning into skating rinks lined with car-swallowing ditches). So, what the heck, cheezy romance or no, had to give it a try.
All my blah blah above is to mask the fact that this is a really simple story, with (essentially) three characters: Eric, an altruistic, somewhat ambitionless "small town barrister" of tiny Woodchuck (er, Woodchurch), Maine; Danielle, a transient-ish, unkempt, kinda feral woman with serious issues; and snow, shit-tons of snow, 30-foot high drifts of snow, courtesy of an upcoming 'Storm of the Century". Eric meets Danielle in the check-out line at the local grocery store (when she lacks enough money to pay for her Advil, ramen noodles, and boxes of wine) sees her hobbling on the roadway toting her heavy groceries, and, goodheartedly offers her a lift home before the storm hits.
Super cheezy, right? Surprisingly, no. Roorbach's greatest asset is sharply realized character development, and we are treated to a fascinating look at two completely disparate lives. Their chance meeting, which takes them back to Danielle's squatter cabin just barely before the aforementioned third character arrives with a vengeance, reveals the other two characters' compelling back stories.
I expected this to be a cringe fest, yet I gobbled this up in six hours, with nary an eye roll (okay, I confess, I actually teared up toward the end). Overfamiliar? Probably. (though not to me; I almost never read books like this). Embarrassingly enough, this grabbed my heart and didn't let go. (Of course, it may just be my anticipating our own 6" 'Storm of the Century' predicted for tomorrow, and living vicariously through Eric.) All I know is, this is a gazillion times better than the one Nicholas Sparks novel I read.
October 29, 2014
Compulsively readable, this is the kind of novel you want to devour in one night, next to a fire, with an endless glass of wine, and blankets, lots of blankets. THE REMEDY FOR LOVE is a superb psychological study with memorable characters in a terrifying situation. I haven't been this captivated or uncomfortable in a room since reading ROOM. Highly recommended for lovers of literary novels steeped in suspense.
December 5, 2014
Bill Roorbach writes complete sentences, with correct punctuation.
This book has a plot.
There are some lines of clever dialogue.
May we consider those compliments worthy of the 2 stars I've bestowed?
I'm staggered by the praise this book is getting. For what? Who's getting paid off to write such over-the-top wonderful reviews? Tell me, please, what I'm missing. The novel's premise is coy and predictable -- but could've been shaped in a compelling manner. Instead: a character so irritating and unlikable that you wish a grizzly bear would've come along on page 32 to eat her. (I know, I KNOW: I live in Maine, and there are no grizzly bears here.)
Don't waste your time on this.
This book has a plot.
There are some lines of clever dialogue.
May we consider those compliments worthy of the 2 stars I've bestowed?
I'm staggered by the praise this book is getting. For what? Who's getting paid off to write such over-the-top wonderful reviews? Tell me, please, what I'm missing. The novel's premise is coy and predictable -- but could've been shaped in a compelling manner. Instead: a character so irritating and unlikable that you wish a grizzly bear would've come along on page 32 to eat her. (I know, I KNOW: I live in Maine, and there are no grizzly bears here.)
Don't waste your time on this.
October 17, 2014
I was drawn to this novel, my first Bill Roorbach, by the quirkiness of the plot blurb. I suspected that it would be a character study more than anything else, and in that I was correct. Eric, a small-town lawyer in Maine, finds himself half-reluctantly helping a vagrant-looking young woman after he has an odd experience with her in a grocery store. He follows her out to a rural and isolated cabin in the woods, as the snowstorm of the century (or ever!) begins to pile it higher and deeper. He intends to be the gentleman that he is and help this raggedy, dirty, disheveled woman; yet, the more he reaches out to Danielle, the more it is evident that he is a needy case, also.
Danielle’s flinty, nihilistic voice is a compelling contrast to Eric’s more pathetic and tender one. He is hanging on to an obviously finished marriage with a denial and hope that is transparently futile (to everyone but him), and also reaching out to Danielle for friendship. However, Danielle is guarded at best, and generally caustic, pushing Eric away with her volatile behavior and harsh words. Eric’s life is like an open book, while Danielle’s is a closed and secret history, revealing itself gradually toward its obliquely foreshadowed but shocking conclusion. The auguring serves to authenticate the climax without ruining it.
In the meantime, as the storm gets more severe, the cabin they are sequestered in starts to groan, hiss, creak, and croak. (Eric’s car, with his cell phone in it, has been towed from where he parked it—there’s a story behind that.) As the novel progresses, the cabin itself becomes like a character, a vulnerable one victimized by the snowstorm. Roorbach mixes levity with horror as Eric and Danielle’s lives become increasingly imperiled. Their opposite natures are inclined to avalanche, until it becomes clear that they are going to have to establish a sense of working together in order to survive.
Roorbach creates penetrating and realistic characters. The theme of survival is both literal and metaphorical, as Eric and Danielle struggle to maintain safety and life, while any higher purposes that they possess are disclosed and put to a tense and high-wire test. At times, I wanted the plot to move along more swiftly, especially when more predictable events occurred and threatened to stagnate the story. Also, my engagement with these two stunted adults sometimes bordered on my own groans and creaks. Once the reader’s insight reaches a peak, there’s a certain amount of impatience, waiting for the characters’ get-a-clue to kick in. Her “strange retractable beauty” and his tendency toward masochism periodically stretched my own tolerance limits. This is not an unforgettable book, but it has its moments.
Danielle’s flinty, nihilistic voice is a compelling contrast to Eric’s more pathetic and tender one. He is hanging on to an obviously finished marriage with a denial and hope that is transparently futile (to everyone but him), and also reaching out to Danielle for friendship. However, Danielle is guarded at best, and generally caustic, pushing Eric away with her volatile behavior and harsh words. Eric’s life is like an open book, while Danielle’s is a closed and secret history, revealing itself gradually toward its obliquely foreshadowed but shocking conclusion. The auguring serves to authenticate the climax without ruining it.
In the meantime, as the storm gets more severe, the cabin they are sequestered in starts to groan, hiss, creak, and croak. (Eric’s car, with his cell phone in it, has been towed from where he parked it—there’s a story behind that.) As the novel progresses, the cabin itself becomes like a character, a vulnerable one victimized by the snowstorm. Roorbach mixes levity with horror as Eric and Danielle’s lives become increasingly imperiled. Their opposite natures are inclined to avalanche, until it becomes clear that they are going to have to establish a sense of working together in order to survive.
Roorbach creates penetrating and realistic characters. The theme of survival is both literal and metaphorical, as Eric and Danielle struggle to maintain safety and life, while any higher purposes that they possess are disclosed and put to a tense and high-wire test. At times, I wanted the plot to move along more swiftly, especially when more predictable events occurred and threatened to stagnate the story. Also, my engagement with these two stunted adults sometimes bordered on my own groans and creaks. Once the reader’s insight reaches a peak, there’s a certain amount of impatience, waiting for the characters’ get-a-clue to kick in. Her “strange retractable beauty” and his tendency toward masochism periodically stretched my own tolerance limits. This is not an unforgettable book, but it has its moments.
February 11, 2017
I really enjoyed this hard-to-categorize book: a character study of two deeply damaged but extremely sympathetic individuals. They are strangers, yet they find themselves trapped in a dilapidated cabin with no electricity during a serious blizzard of epic proportions. So right away you know I'm into it. I love a good snow storm. But this was much more than that. It was a really moving story and very unique. The title and cover threw me off in a big way. This is in no way a sappy romance. That's why I've been putting it off. Even though it's got the snow, I just wasn't in the mood for like 'two people get thrown together in a snowstorm and become passionate lovers, but not before first hating each other yadda yadda yadda' . WELL it's NOT that AT ALL! This is good stuff. Pretty meaty, and not at all corny. A real character study and very smart. Very literary. I dug it, yup yup yup. 4 and a half stars, yo.
November 15, 2014
The state of Maine is about to get hit with what is being called "the storm of the century." Small-town attorney Eric stops by the grocery store to stock up on some high-end provisions (fancy cheese, good wine, etc.) in preparation for a visit from his estranged wife. He finds himself in line behind Danielle, an unkempt woman he assumes to be homeless, who is having trouble coming up with all of the money she needs to buy her groceries. Rather than cause a scene, he pays the difference, then offers her a ride.
When they arrive at the cabin where Danielle has been staying, a sense of concern comes over Eric. Given the anticipated storm, Danielle needs water and firewood, not to mention more food than she has. And while she's willing to accept a bit of his help, she's more than ready for him to leave her alone. But when Eric finds himself stranded, without a car or a cell phone, the only place he has to go is back to Danielle's cabin—and she's not happy about that, to say the least.
As the storm unleashes its fury, the two forge a tenuous agreement to ride it out together. But as lies are told, truths are revealed, and both the right and the wrong things are said, Danielle and Eric aren't sure if sticking together is the right decision. And Mother Nature has her own ideas. Is Danielle emotional, unstable, and/or possibly dangerous? Is Eric the victim he has painted himself out to be?
The Remedy for Love is an intriguing look at two people who are far more complicated than they appear. Danielle and Eric have some interesting banter, open some painful and emotional wounds, and get in each other's faces, and you're not exactly sure what is going to happen. The stranded-in-a-storm thing has been done before, but Bill Roorbach mines it for all it's worth, and most of the time it works, although there are a few somewhat unbelievable turns the story takes.
I felt the book would have been stronger had it focused solely on Eric and Danielle, but it spent a little too much time also providing the framework of Eric's relationship with Alison, his estranged wife. (And given all of the detail Roorbach provided, I still don't know if I understood what really happened with them.) Danielle, in particular, is really intriguing, but her dialogue is a mix of intellectual and street patois that irritated me at times. The two spend a lot of time dancing around proverbial elephants in the room without actually discussing many of them, and I found the ending a little disjointed. (Maybe someone who read the book can message me and tell me how they think it ended?)
Bill Roorbach is a very talented writer; his first novel, Life Among Giants, boasted another fascinating main character. The Remedy for Love is a strong character study, but one that left me with a few more questions than it did answers.
When they arrive at the cabin where Danielle has been staying, a sense of concern comes over Eric. Given the anticipated storm, Danielle needs water and firewood, not to mention more food than she has. And while she's willing to accept a bit of his help, she's more than ready for him to leave her alone. But when Eric finds himself stranded, without a car or a cell phone, the only place he has to go is back to Danielle's cabin—and she's not happy about that, to say the least.
As the storm unleashes its fury, the two forge a tenuous agreement to ride it out together. But as lies are told, truths are revealed, and both the right and the wrong things are said, Danielle and Eric aren't sure if sticking together is the right decision. And Mother Nature has her own ideas. Is Danielle emotional, unstable, and/or possibly dangerous? Is Eric the victim he has painted himself out to be?
The Remedy for Love is an intriguing look at two people who are far more complicated than they appear. Danielle and Eric have some interesting banter, open some painful and emotional wounds, and get in each other's faces, and you're not exactly sure what is going to happen. The stranded-in-a-storm thing has been done before, but Bill Roorbach mines it for all it's worth, and most of the time it works, although there are a few somewhat unbelievable turns the story takes.
I felt the book would have been stronger had it focused solely on Eric and Danielle, but it spent a little too much time also providing the framework of Eric's relationship with Alison, his estranged wife. (And given all of the detail Roorbach provided, I still don't know if I understood what really happened with them.) Danielle, in particular, is really intriguing, but her dialogue is a mix of intellectual and street patois that irritated me at times. The two spend a lot of time dancing around proverbial elephants in the room without actually discussing many of them, and I found the ending a little disjointed. (Maybe someone who read the book can message me and tell me how they think it ended?)
Bill Roorbach is a very talented writer; his first novel, Life Among Giants, boasted another fascinating main character. The Remedy for Love is a strong character study, but one that left me with a few more questions than it did answers.
December 14, 2014
This is a good one.
The setting was SO interesting: A snowed-in cabin in New England. Maybe cabin is too generous. A hut or shack? Mostly takes place between two very disparate people. The girl was a little off-putting to me from the beginning. I suppose she was meant to be, but I almost felt like I could smell her. Ew.
However, I warmed up to her (haha...poor choice of words in this story!). I loved the scenes of the man cooking. I want what they ate! Prepare to have an appetite when you're reading this. Preferably homemade pizza with a very good wine. And some spicy mac & cheese.
Well written. Compelling story. On one level you want to find out what happens to them in their dire situation. On another level, you need to know the woman's story. Why is she in this condition? What happened to her?
Read on to find out. I liked it!
NOTE: Hubs now has possession and can't put it down.
FURTHER NOTE: I love that it's a signed copy and I met the author, who was great to hear speak! Enjoyed his discussion very much.
YET ANOTHER FURTHER UPDATE: My husband loved this book! He finished it in 2 days. Since he's not on GR, I wanted to share in my review.
The setting was SO interesting: A snowed-in cabin in New England. Maybe cabin is too generous. A hut or shack? Mostly takes place between two very disparate people. The girl was a little off-putting to me from the beginning. I suppose she was meant to be, but I almost felt like I could smell her. Ew.
However, I warmed up to her (haha...poor choice of words in this story!). I loved the scenes of the man cooking. I want what they ate! Prepare to have an appetite when you're reading this. Preferably homemade pizza with a very good wine. And some spicy mac & cheese.
Well written. Compelling story. On one level you want to find out what happens to them in their dire situation. On another level, you need to know the woman's story. Why is she in this condition? What happened to her?
Read on to find out. I liked it!
NOTE: Hubs now has possession and can't put it down.
FURTHER NOTE: I love that it's a signed copy and I met the author, who was great to hear speak! Enjoyed his discussion very much.
YET ANOTHER FURTHER UPDATE: My husband loved this book! He finished it in 2 days. Since he's not on GR, I wanted to share in my review.
August 20, 2014
I am reviewing this for Net Galley in exchange for an honest review! This book started out very slow and did not make any sense. I got so confused and couldn't keep up with all the jumping of topics. There were a lot of words used that I had no clue what they meant and had to go look them up online But I kept reading and the book got better. I love this type of book in fact it is my favorite type so I had to read it. This book is somewhat sexy but the girl had a lot of mental problems. Her mental problems are associated with a traumatic event which you will learn about. Eric is a lawyer and was in the Navy and he is always thinking about something I think he has ADHD. He very insecure, sweet, well grounded and nothing like your holier than now lawyer. They both worked together to survive. I enjoyed the story after reading it a while but I hate, hate the ending. I am reading getting into the story and bam its over, this and other things is the reason I gave it 3 stars. I think if the author included an epilogue it would really help the story.
December 19, 2014
Remedy for Love is the sort of story that you rush through to find out what happens, while simultaneously wanting it to last forever. Roorbach shows how intensity of shared experiences puts relationship development in high gear. The entire story takes place over the course of just a few days (the duration of a killer blizzard) and yet truths about self, love, sexuality, and dysfunction are laid bare.
As I approached the conclusion, I worried about how the author would wrap things up. I'd come to care for the weird duo and hoped that Roorbach wouldn't end the story in some sort of highfalutin existential literary style. Thankfully, this wasn't the case, and the ending was perfection.
The context of being trapped in a snowstorm is unusual, and the characters are interesting and believable. The dialog is finely crafted; I took mental notes for my own novel in progress.
Can't wait to read more of Roorbach's work!
As I approached the conclusion, I worried about how the author would wrap things up. I'd come to care for the weird duo and hoped that Roorbach wouldn't end the story in some sort of highfalutin existential literary style. Thankfully, this wasn't the case, and the ending was perfection.
The context of being trapped in a snowstorm is unusual, and the characters are interesting and believable. The dialog is finely crafted; I took mental notes for my own novel in progress.
Can't wait to read more of Roorbach's work!
August 7, 2019
A novel about an unlikely romance that develops when a homeless woman and a lawyer are stuck in an ill-prepared summer cabin during a dangerous snowstorm. This is not a "meet-cute" light romantic comedy. Serious issues are revealed about each character as they get to know each other. There's also a sense of danger as a snow slide threatens to push their cabin into the river, making an escape plan necessary. A good romance novel for people who don't like chick-lit romance novels.
June 5, 2015
I wanted to like this so badly. And I did at first. The opening scene in a Hannaford grocery store: I felt like I've witnessed that scene, even been one of the people in line behind Eric, a dozen times. I was sucked in by all of the survival plotline: I loved all of the bits about gathering wood and water and trying to survive in a summer camp without electricity and plumbing in the middle of a massive winter storm. And I wanted to know more about this female character: why her hair was chopped so, why she was limping, why she was buying certain kinds of food, why she accepted a ride from a male stranger who had just purchased her groceries. I was intrigued for maybe the first 50 pages or so. But then things started to get weird, and somewhere along the way I got confused and lost interest. The dialogue didn't seem real. I don't know anyone who talks the way either of these characters do. That doesn't mean they don't exist, but I just couldn't understand them. I couldn't stand Eric talking and thinking about his wife all the time, and sometimes it was unclear which woman in his life he was thinking about. I couldn't stand the way he constantly judged Danielle's body, comparing her to his wife, talking about how pretty she could be, etc. I got annoyed by how constantly he was thinking about sex. Danielle's erratic and physically abusive behavior was hard to get through, though an explanation for it is provided at almost the end of the novel. I really wanted to like this book, especially since it's being billed as a romance by a male author, but it felt more like a romance between two incredibly immature people who behaved more like hormonal 15-year-olds than adults. I'm disappointed by this one.
August 25, 2014
Take two strangers—Eric, a small-town lawyer, and Danielle, a former schoolteacher turned homeless squatter—put them in a cabin in the Maine woods, spice it up with a little romantic tension, stir in the wreckage of past love affairs, sprinkle liberally with sharp, funny dialogue, then add the Storm of the Century which buries the cabin in huge drifts of snow, and—voila!—you've got The Remedy for Love, one of the best novels of this or any year. I'm not a doctor, but I'll be prescribing Bill Roorbach's novel to readers sick of blase, cliched love stories that follow worn-out formulas. What we have here is a flat-out funny, sexy, and poignant romantic thriller. The Remedy for Love is good medicine which most readers will want to swallow in one dose.
November 19, 2014
In the hands of a lesser writer, a novel about two emotionally-damaged people (one obviously so, the other keeping it hidden) trapped in a snowed-in cabin might be a recipe for literary claustrophobia. But Bill Roorbach adds a secret doorway that opens the story up to a greater world of relationships and trust and hurt and deceit and romance. The storm-bound characters fight their way through tough emotional obstacles to find bravery, then trust and finally love, and in the process develop the strength to also fight their way through the storm of the century. Great read!
December 11, 2014
I cannot remember how this book came to me. I think it may have been a shout out from Peter Heller. Anyway, not a bad way to spend a couple of hours. I liked the setting the most. Here in the PNW everything closes down if there is even a whiff of snow. Back east folks are wicked prepared. However, a storm of the century traps two lonely and damaged people in a small cabin. There are reveals. There are secrets. And all the while the storm rages on. Brrr.
March 15, 2016
Eh, the characters weren't that compelling to me. Nor was this romance believable. The plot was cute, though--I think I would have enjoyed it as a short story. As a full length novel, I found it drawn out and redundant.
Heading to "old ladies library book club." Maybe I'll
Like the book more once I hear what the 70 year olds thought of all the cock grabbing and hairy leg references. :-)
Heading to "old ladies library book club." Maybe I'll
Like the book more once I hear what the 70 year olds thought of all the cock grabbing and hairy leg references. :-)
February 14, 2024
Interesting story, most all taking place in a remote mountain cabin. Maybe a little unrealistic in parts and the characters could be developed more, but compelling enough to read to the end.
November 25, 2014
After reading some of the reviews on the cover of this book, I was anxious to read “The Remedy for Love” by Bill Roorbach. A romance novel written by a man would certainly have a different slant than those written by most romance novelists. Well, I was right about that.
I had a most difficult time trying to figure out the characters, the plot, the dialogue…just about everything about this novel was beyond me. I know it is the story of two people, two strangers, trapped in a ramshackle cabin during a ferocious Maine blizzard. That’s about the gist of it.
I couldn’t figure out why Danielle was so disheveled, hateful, and belligerent. I also couldn’t figure out what was wrong with Eric. The dialogue was full of four letter words that really didn’t give me much in trying to understand what exactly was wrong with these two people. Perhaps if I re-read it, I would like it more. I read until the end, but I must admit to skipping quite a few pages of prose that did nothing for me. I’m sure there are other readers who would really enjoy this kind of novel. There was a story there, just not a story for me.
I received a print copy of this book from NightOwlReviews.com in return for my honest review. This review is on my blog at http://wp.me/p2pjIt-dg.
I had a most difficult time trying to figure out the characters, the plot, the dialogue…just about everything about this novel was beyond me. I know it is the story of two people, two strangers, trapped in a ramshackle cabin during a ferocious Maine blizzard. That’s about the gist of it.
I couldn’t figure out why Danielle was so disheveled, hateful, and belligerent. I also couldn’t figure out what was wrong with Eric. The dialogue was full of four letter words that really didn’t give me much in trying to understand what exactly was wrong with these two people. Perhaps if I re-read it, I would like it more. I read until the end, but I must admit to skipping quite a few pages of prose that did nothing for me. I’m sure there are other readers who would really enjoy this kind of novel. There was a story there, just not a story for me.
I received a print copy of this book from NightOwlReviews.com in return for my honest review. This review is on my blog at http://wp.me/p2pjIt-dg.
September 2, 2014
The Remedy for Love by Bill Roorbach
*** This DRC was provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review ***
"Danielle for-now" immediately gives off the impression of a squatter living outside town. Her personality seems to suggest a mental disorder may be at play. The way she speaks and her social skills & manners are odd. It's almost like a Schizophrenic - Autistic combo. Maybe some dementia. She's odd. You never know if what she's telling you is true or make-believe. She speaks of her husband Jim often but parts of her story changes as she tells things.
Eric is a small-town, still (mostly-not) married lawyer. He is suddenly overcome with a need to provide for and protect this woman he is standing in line behind. The odoriferous, tattered creature at the grocery store is trying to pay for some groceries, but comes up short. Eric covers her shortage, then further pushes by offering her a ride home from the store, which he learns is nearly six miles away, with a winter storm moving in. Then he feels obligated to help her carry her groceries to a cabin tucked WAY back off the road as the weather worsens. This is all happening as the little town is gearing up for "The Storm of the Century" as the meteorologists are calling it. He does more for her, eventually becoming stranded there himself. The cabin is is a summer place. There is zero winterization, no plumbing for water or restrooms, and no electricity.
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My first impression of this book is that it is strangely written. Some sentences qualify as a paragraph, while other sentences are a single word. The choice of wording and phrasing also, at times, seems... disjointed, erratic, unclear. (I found it NOT to be an easy read and comprehension was murky sometimes on the first pass, having to read it once -or more- again.)
They are stranded together in this secluded cabin after his car is towed and their "relationship" is extremely dysfunctional. The characters and writing was so chaotic at times, it really was hard to develop any kind of attachment to Danielle and/or Eric. Both are married, but not, but are. (Does that make any sense?) The plot was fantastic, however. I truly enjoyed the concept. The conflicts, as they arose, were met with satisfactory resolve. The ending was a little loose, but sufficient. I would have liked to see an Epilogue that entailed Eric's marital status. Jim's situation was predictable though.
Overall, I nearly felt that I needed medication from all the craziness this book contained. It was truly chaotic and challenging to get through. I have to take "stars" off for the level of insanity, but feel I need to say again that I did not necessarily dislike the characters & I did like the concept.
Perhaps I found it not-as appealing because I am female? Positive reviews are coming from male readers. Maybe it is geared more towards the male population.
3.25/5.0
*** This DRC was provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review ***
"Danielle for-now" immediately gives off the impression of a squatter living outside town. Her personality seems to suggest a mental disorder may be at play. The way she speaks and her social skills & manners are odd. It's almost like a Schizophrenic - Autistic combo. Maybe some dementia. She's odd. You never know if what she's telling you is true or make-believe. She speaks of her husband Jim often but parts of her story changes as she tells things.
Eric is a small-town, still (mostly-not) married lawyer. He is suddenly overcome with a need to provide for and protect this woman he is standing in line behind. The odoriferous, tattered creature at the grocery store is trying to pay for some groceries, but comes up short. Eric covers her shortage, then further pushes by offering her a ride home from the store, which he learns is nearly six miles away, with a winter storm moving in. Then he feels obligated to help her carry her groceries to a cabin tucked WAY back off the road as the weather worsens. This is all happening as the little town is gearing up for "The Storm of the Century" as the meteorologists are calling it. He does more for her, eventually becoming stranded there himself. The cabin is is a summer place. There is zero winterization, no plumbing for water or restrooms, and no electricity.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
My first impression of this book is that it is strangely written. Some sentences qualify as a paragraph, while other sentences are a single word. The choice of wording and phrasing also, at times, seems... disjointed, erratic, unclear. (I found it NOT to be an easy read and comprehension was murky sometimes on the first pass, having to read it once -or more- again.)
They are stranded together in this secluded cabin after his car is towed and their "relationship" is extremely dysfunctional. The characters and writing was so chaotic at times, it really was hard to develop any kind of attachment to Danielle and/or Eric. Both are married, but not, but are. (Does that make any sense?) The plot was fantastic, however. I truly enjoyed the concept. The conflicts, as they arose, were met with satisfactory resolve. The ending was a little loose, but sufficient. I would have liked to see an Epilogue that entailed Eric's marital status. Jim's situation was predictable though.
Overall, I nearly felt that I needed medication from all the craziness this book contained. It was truly chaotic and challenging to get through. I have to take "stars" off for the level of insanity, but feel I need to say again that I did not necessarily dislike the characters & I did like the concept.
Perhaps I found it not-as appealing because I am female? Positive reviews are coming from male readers. Maybe it is geared more towards the male population.
3.25/5.0
October 21, 2014
This is a deeply moving, powerful story that explores love and intimacy in the face of loneliness, fear and loss. It begins at the onset of a huge blizzard in Maine. Eric, a 34-year old lawyer separated from his wife Alison (at her initiative), helps a young homeless-looking woman get her groceries to her cabin in the woods, and then the two of them get stuck there as the storm worsens.
The woman, Danielle, 28, is thin, unkempt, and bruised; clearly she is frightened of Eric and keeps telling him her husband Jimmy will be back any moment. Eric has no wish to take advantage of Danielle even as he knows Jimmy couldn’t get home if he tried, no more than Eric can get out. So Eric and Danielle try to make the best of the situation - each in their own way. Over the course of their confinement, a strange and wonderful intimacy develops between them. It turns out they each need rescuing, and they come up with an unusual way to make it happen.
Discussion: There is some beautifully crafted and evocative writing in this book. When Eric looks out from the cabin at the falling snow:
"...gazing long, [he] admired the birches bowed in fair arcs on the far bank, balsam firs like court ladies in tiered dresses, green emerging only darkly from the strange humps where whole jungles of alder ought to be."
And how perfectly illuminating when Eric contemplates what went wrong with his marriage, thinking about how he and Alison started to argue about the minutest factual things:
"...these two people who deeply agreed on everything getting as hot over details of their orthodoxy as the old protestant pastors, nuanced positions breaking the church of their romance into splinters and then splinters of splinters, sharp things to be deployed at any time."
Or this stunning passage, when Eric begins to notice Danielle's odd appeal:
"Something startling in the shapes her clavicles made, not that he was looking. She'd startled him all day with her strange, retractable beauty, like a cat's claws."
Evaluation: This is a lovely book. I was reminded a great deal of Tom McNeal’s To Be Sung Underwater. The ending here is much more uplifting, but the adult exploration of the nature of love is similar. I definitely want to read the books he has written previously. Highly recommended.
Rating: 4.5/5
The woman, Danielle, 28, is thin, unkempt, and bruised; clearly she is frightened of Eric and keeps telling him her husband Jimmy will be back any moment. Eric has no wish to take advantage of Danielle even as he knows Jimmy couldn’t get home if he tried, no more than Eric can get out. So Eric and Danielle try to make the best of the situation - each in their own way. Over the course of their confinement, a strange and wonderful intimacy develops between them. It turns out they each need rescuing, and they come up with an unusual way to make it happen.
Discussion: There is some beautifully crafted and evocative writing in this book. When Eric looks out from the cabin at the falling snow:
"...gazing long, [he] admired the birches bowed in fair arcs on the far bank, balsam firs like court ladies in tiered dresses, green emerging only darkly from the strange humps where whole jungles of alder ought to be."
And how perfectly illuminating when Eric contemplates what went wrong with his marriage, thinking about how he and Alison started to argue about the minutest factual things:
"...these two people who deeply agreed on everything getting as hot over details of their orthodoxy as the old protestant pastors, nuanced positions breaking the church of their romance into splinters and then splinters of splinters, sharp things to be deployed at any time."
Or this stunning passage, when Eric begins to notice Danielle's odd appeal:
"Something startling in the shapes her clavicles made, not that he was looking. She'd startled him all day with her strange, retractable beauty, like a cat's claws."
Evaluation: This is a lovely book. I was reminded a great deal of Tom McNeal’s To Be Sung Underwater. The ending here is much more uplifting, but the adult exploration of the nature of love is similar. I definitely want to read the books he has written previously. Highly recommended.
Rating: 4.5/5
December 6, 2014
Wondering what it would be like to be snowed in like many in Western New York? Bill Roorbach focuses on a “storm of the century” in his latest novel, The Remedy for Love. Typical of anyone who lived in a snowy area when an unprecedented storm is forecast for much of Maine, local lawyer Eric stops at the market for a few things. Ahead of him in line is someone unknown to the small town, a young woman in what appears to be dire straits. When she does not have enough money to pay for her items Eric is drawn in by her temperament and finds that he is intrigued by the young woman. When he later sees her struggling with her packages he offers her a lift, suspecting that she is homeless. He quickly learns that her name is Danielle and that she is in fact squatting in a shack located in a remote ravine near the river. Danielle is dismissive of Eric’s offers to help her, yet a short time after he drops her off at the side of the road he is compelled to follow her into the woods to ensure that she will be safely able to weather the storm. After another heated refusal for help Eric makes his way back to the road to discover his car has been towed and is forced to return to the cabin and Danielle to ride out the storm. Forced to ride out the epic storm together in the shack with no heat except for an old wood burning stove, no water except what they can haul from the river, and no electricity the two begin to learn about one another, for better or worse. A compelling read that is not only a thrilling survival story but also an exploration of grief, love, and humanity, The Remedy for Love will haunt readers long after the final page has been read.
October 28, 2014
The Remedy For Love has to be one of the most unusual books that I have ever read. I guess I would describe it as a romantic novel in a strange way. There are really only two characters in the story. First there is Eric who is a lawyer, a super nice guy, and a great friend..Someone you can trust. Then there is Danielle, a former teacher who clearly has problems. The author gives the impression that she is a homeless squatter.. She is odd, bruised, lonely, frightened and very hostile. And there is a reason why which is divulged at the end of the book. Both of these characters are caught in the storm of the century. You can feel the tension between these two as they struggle to survive and accept each other's quirks. The dialogue is funny and snappy and getting to know Eric and Danielle is a real adventure. This was truly a different kind of read for me and looking back it was very refreshing. Guess I'll bump it up to 3.5 stars.
I was luck enough to have won this book from LibraryThing.
June 9, 2016
**spoliers, duh**
A slog to get through (I'm so sorry sally!!!) - and incredibly predicable. I rooted so many times for a bear to burst in and just maul them to end it all. Maybe it's because I'm married to an attorney but i cant stand stories that have such huge hard on for lawyers, i mean seriously its a desk job like any thing else. seriously, bill roorbach, go judge a moot court competition and see how truly cool moot court is. And the author puts Eric on such a pedestal - and of course has to kill off his love interest's army hero husband to give her permission to give him a hand job. I could never get a clear picture in my mind what "Danielle" looked like. Just a boney, smelly weirdo. And are we to believe the end is a happily ever after? Best case scenario 3 months, tops.
A slog to get through (I'm so sorry sally!!!) - and incredibly predicable. I rooted so many times for a bear to burst in and just maul them to end it all. Maybe it's because I'm married to an attorney but i cant stand stories that have such huge hard on for lawyers, i mean seriously its a desk job like any thing else. seriously, bill roorbach, go judge a moot court competition and see how truly cool moot court is. And the author puts Eric on such a pedestal - and of course has to kill off his love interest's army hero husband to give her permission to give him a hand job. I could never get a clear picture in my mind what "Danielle" looked like. Just a boney, smelly weirdo. And are we to believe the end is a happily ever after? Best case scenario 3 months, tops.
November 21, 2014
Hard to describe this story. The positives: the man vs. nature aspect of the novel intrigued me most. Eric and the female character struggle to survive an epic snow storm trapped in a remote cabin in Maine.
Descriptions of the terrain, the cabin itself and the ingenuity he uses to survive were well crafted.
For me the subplot was this mystery girl and her secret past. The negative that kept me from rating this novel higher was the inability to really understand her. By the time the real reason for her strange, erratic behavior was revealed I no longer liked her or cared enough about her to rejoice in the ending.
Decent read for a cold winter day.
Descriptions of the terrain, the cabin itself and the ingenuity he uses to survive were well crafted.
For me the subplot was this mystery girl and her secret past. The negative that kept me from rating this novel higher was the inability to really understand her. By the time the real reason for her strange, erratic behavior was revealed I no longer liked her or cared enough about her to rejoice in the ending.
Decent read for a cold winter day.
November 22, 2014
I loved this book. I became completely absorbed in it for two days. The characterization, especially of Eric, is so good, and Roorbach artfully weaves in Eric's back story. The relationship between the two develops naturally (or un-), and the situation is believable, interesting, and eventually, quite thrilling as the weather takes over their lives. And I appreciated the way the "time out" from life gave Eric an unexpected respite to examine his life and come to a place where he's ready to grasp reality and move forward, finally.
April 13, 2015
i devoured this book. in a bit of a slump with a cold and spent the better part of this sunday on my couch - first with the new york times and then with this compulsively readable novel. the sun was shining outside and my cough and i stayed contently put, taking in each chapter and eagerly turning the pages. finished in one day. great read.
February 22, 2015
I really wanted to like this book. I ignored the negative reviews, but frankly,they were on point. Plot points were unlikely, and there was not enough about the characters to make me understand their motivations for engaging in such a complicated relationship.
Read
February 21, 2015Don't let the title fool you. Not chick lit. I didn't see where this was going until the end of the book. Even then, I was expecting something different. Good read.
July 17, 2025
This book was…. Interesting. The dynamic between the main characters kept throwing me through a loop. The complexity of their “relationship” given the nature of their circumstances was understandable, with each partner wanting the same thing but at different times. I did not except the letter to be revealing, but looking back I probably could’ve guessed beforehand had I really thought about it. I wish the ending had extended a little more, as I feel left longing for something more. Although that may be the type A person in me, needing an ending.
March 16, 2019
It’s hard not to use cliches like spellbinding and a page turner to describe this book. Let me try again.
This is a story of two lonely, quietly desperate people coming together in an ordinary way, under highly unusual circumstances. They expose every weakness, willingly and unwillingly, until there’s nothing left to hide but an unfortunate tattoo. Or perhaps, not even that.
This is a story of two lonely, quietly desperate people coming together in an ordinary way, under highly unusual circumstances. They expose every weakness, willingly and unwillingly, until there’s nothing left to hide but an unfortunate tattoo. Or perhaps, not even that.
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