What do you think?
Rate this book
The Love Factory
You can control want, but desire controls you
When literary writer Anna falls on hard times, she tries her hand at erotic fiction to make money, and faces an uncomfortable truth. Though she's a wife and mother of two, her stories fail to fly because she's never experienced true sexual desire. Even her Sicilian grandmother - wearer of diamante sunglasses and knock-off Louis Vuitton - knows more than she does about real passion.
Anna turns to her friends for inspiration. As secrets and desires are revealed, she discovers more about the people close to her than she ever knew. When one of them suggests she borrow an alter ego to banish her inhibitions, a new world opens up, and The Love Factory - a group of writers penning ever more successful sexy stories - is born.
Yet Anna knows that she can't rely on borrowed passion and an alter ego forever. For her tales to truly sizzle, she needs to find a true love of her own.
When literary writer Anna falls on hard times, she tries her hand at erotic fiction to make money, and faces an uncomfortable truth. Though she's a wife and mother of two, her stories fail to fly because she's never experienced true sexual desire. Even her Sicilian grandmother - wearer of diamante sunglasses and knock-off Louis Vuitton - knows more than she does about real passion.
Anna turns to her friends for inspiration. As secrets and desires are revealed, she discovers more about the people close to her than she ever knew. When one of them suggests she borrow an alter ego to banish her inhibitions, a new world opens up, and The Love Factory - a group of writers penning ever more successful sexy stories - is born.
Yet Anna knows that she can't rely on borrowed passion and an alter ego forever. For her tales to truly sizzle, she needs to find a true love of her own.
400 pages, Paperback
Published August 9, 2018
3 people are currently reading
55 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
March 11, 2018
I found this to be an intelligent, fun and sexy read that was a pleasant surprise as I really didn't know what to expect from this book!
Anna is a writer of novels that don't sell well! She's also a wife and mother and her daily life in suburbia is beginning to take its' toll, even more so when her husband loses his job and they have to move her nonna in with them to save on the nursing home costs. She needs to change direction as a writer so she finds herself at a writing workshop where she meets Cordelia. She's much younger and has a different outlook on life but they click as friends and help each other out in their quest to improve their writing.
Anna wants to write erotic fiction but her own life is lacking a little passion so she's struggling. Cordelia comes up with the idea that she should create an alter ego to unlock a different side to her, and it works! She then gets friends and neighbours involved in a writing project to create sexy short stories and this was a really interesting way to peek into the lives of those around her and discover a whole new side to them and their own struggles and outlook on life.
I loved how this book created some memorable characters and situations and how a situation forces them to change habits and allows them to become someone who they'd never thought they'd be. The way that Anna had to become someone else in her writing then made her become herself in real life! Really enjoyed seeing how her family reacted to her change in writing style and topic - it doesn't go down well with everyone!
I loved the stories within this story and it often got quite emotional for me as the reader with what some characters were going through. It was easy to read and really pulled you into the story and showed how the world of self publishing and blogs could help out which made it more relevant in the world we live in today. Thoroughly enjoyable!!
Anna is a writer of novels that don't sell well! She's also a wife and mother and her daily life in suburbia is beginning to take its' toll, even more so when her husband loses his job and they have to move her nonna in with them to save on the nursing home costs. She needs to change direction as a writer so she finds herself at a writing workshop where she meets Cordelia. She's much younger and has a different outlook on life but they click as friends and help each other out in their quest to improve their writing.
Anna wants to write erotic fiction but her own life is lacking a little passion so she's struggling. Cordelia comes up with the idea that she should create an alter ego to unlock a different side to her, and it works! She then gets friends and neighbours involved in a writing project to create sexy short stories and this was a really interesting way to peek into the lives of those around her and discover a whole new side to them and their own struggles and outlook on life.
I loved how this book created some memorable characters and situations and how a situation forces them to change habits and allows them to become someone who they'd never thought they'd be. The way that Anna had to become someone else in her writing then made her become herself in real life! Really enjoyed seeing how her family reacted to her change in writing style and topic - it doesn't go down well with everyone!
I loved the stories within this story and it often got quite emotional for me as the reader with what some characters were going through. It was easy to read and really pulled you into the story and showed how the world of self publishing and blogs could help out which made it more relevant in the world we live in today. Thoroughly enjoyable!!
July 15, 2024
I didn't really know what to expect from this book, and it surprised me.
At times, it felt delightful and fun— just a group of friends gathering to write smut together. But then it would feel a little more serious, and as if the book had a mission or was a call to action. I respect going into discourse, but I feel like the author just would dip their toes in and back out, and the issues that were being brought out felt more important than that.
About halfway through the book, I also felt entirely too overwhelmed by how many characters there were (and how annoying each of them were in their own distinctive ways). Each character, without fail, had a moment where they straight up pissed me off. Her children were so annoying, and her husband being written off almost as soon as we met the love interest felt entirely too plot convenient.
It also felt like the author had to meet a diversity quota when writing this book. Every time someone new was introduced, it was immediately followed by what ethnicity they were, and by the end of the book, I'm pretty sure we had every single box checked in terms of a diverse cast. Which is fine, of course, until it becomes forced and repetitive.
In general, I just felt that the tone of the story jumped back and forth between lighthearted and serious, and it didn't really work for me. Also, the erotica was not very good. I don't know how I was expected to believe that this factory was making thousands when I've read better stuff for FREE on fanfiction.net.
At times, it felt delightful and fun— just a group of friends gathering to write smut together. But then it would feel a little more serious, and as if the book had a mission or was a call to action. I respect going into discourse, but I feel like the author just would dip their toes in and back out, and the issues that were being brought out felt more important than that.
About halfway through the book, I also felt entirely too overwhelmed by how many characters there were (and how annoying each of them were in their own distinctive ways). Each character, without fail, had a moment where they straight up pissed me off. Her children were so annoying, and her husband being written off almost as soon as we met the love interest felt entirely too plot convenient.
It also felt like the author had to meet a diversity quota when writing this book. Every time someone new was introduced, it was immediately followed by what ethnicity they were, and by the end of the book, I'm pretty sure we had every single box checked in terms of a diverse cast. Which is fine, of course, until it becomes forced and repetitive.
In general, I just felt that the tone of the story jumped back and forth between lighthearted and serious, and it didn't really work for me. Also, the erotica was not very good. I don't know how I was expected to believe that this factory was making thousands when I've read better stuff for FREE on fanfiction.net.
April 14, 2018
'The Love Factory' by Elaine Proctor should be nominated for an award.
Synopsis: Anna is a mother and wife first and a writer second. When her husband is laid off from his job, Anna has to rethink her comfortable life. After picking up a sexy novel of her Nonna's, Anna gets the idea to become a romance novelist although it is harder than she thought possible. Enrolling into a class for the hot and passionate, Anna meets a fellow beginner and they quickly encourage each other to write their fantasies. Change brings more change and soon Anna's old life is a murky memory and The Love Factory exists.
I met many characters throughout the course of this book but there were definitely favourites for me. Sometimes Anna blew hot and cold; there were a few times that I questioned her choices but I could understand the reasons behind some of those. The outcomes weren't always predictable and the book held a similar feeling to a soap opera but with much better writing. I adored Nonna! I found her to be all the characters' fairy godmother. She pushed and prodded them to make the right decisions and without her, perhaps The Love Factory wouldn't be. She's got this strength to her that I instantly admired and I legit ugly-cried. You know...
Out of my family, myself and my daughter (plus her cousins) are the only English ones; the rest originate from South Africa. Growing up in a bi-lingual family means I can conserve (although a bit stilted) in Afrikaans, which of course meant that I found the South Africans in this book quite endearing. There were many different languages spoken in this book, not so much that it disrupted the flow of the story but enough to make you admire Proctor and wonder how many languages she is fluent in. Also, don't be daunted by this as they are translated! Spanish is the one that crops up the most and when I first came across a sentence I had a mini heart attack.
I have to talk about the women as a whole in this book. It was very inspiring to read how they over came certain hurdles. This book couldn't have come at a better time. There is no sexual assault in this book but I can't help but liken it to the way women are coming together in support of each other like in the Time's Up movement. Women across the globe are standing side by side and showing solidarity and strength in their abilities. This book also comes out in the month of International Women's Day and you can't help but notice these things. I must also mention the LGBT community and the diversity in religion that is represented and the topic of race is also a notable attribute to this book. With the many languages present, it comes as no surprise the variety of characters that arise and there are some disturbing scenes of hate.
This book was a slow burner. If after a few chapters, you stop and think you're not getting anywhere, I implore you to keep going. I went days between those first 10 chapters but I became addicted. I can't tell you when it happened but when I got to 80%, I was ravenous and would've rather died than put it down at all. If I only had one word to describe this book it would be: Empowering.
"As she breathed in she whispered to herself, 'I am,' and, as if willing it would make it so, she said, 'at peace.'"
Synopsis: Anna is a mother and wife first and a writer second. When her husband is laid off from his job, Anna has to rethink her comfortable life. After picking up a sexy novel of her Nonna's, Anna gets the idea to become a romance novelist although it is harder than she thought possible. Enrolling into a class for the hot and passionate, Anna meets a fellow beginner and they quickly encourage each other to write their fantasies. Change brings more change and soon Anna's old life is a murky memory and The Love Factory exists.
I met many characters throughout the course of this book but there were definitely favourites for me. Sometimes Anna blew hot and cold; there were a few times that I questioned her choices but I could understand the reasons behind some of those. The outcomes weren't always predictable and the book held a similar feeling to a soap opera but with much better writing. I adored Nonna! I found her to be all the characters' fairy godmother. She pushed and prodded them to make the right decisions and without her, perhaps The Love Factory wouldn't be. She's got this strength to her that I instantly admired and I legit ugly-cried. You know...
Out of my family, myself and my daughter (plus her cousins) are the only English ones; the rest originate from South Africa. Growing up in a bi-lingual family means I can conserve (although a bit stilted) in Afrikaans, which of course meant that I found the South Africans in this book quite endearing. There were many different languages spoken in this book, not so much that it disrupted the flow of the story but enough to make you admire Proctor and wonder how many languages she is fluent in. Also, don't be daunted by this as they are translated! Spanish is the one that crops up the most and when I first came across a sentence I had a mini heart attack.
I have to talk about the women as a whole in this book. It was very inspiring to read how they over came certain hurdles. This book couldn't have come at a better time. There is no sexual assault in this book but I can't help but liken it to the way women are coming together in support of each other like in the Time's Up movement. Women across the globe are standing side by side and showing solidarity and strength in their abilities. This book also comes out in the month of International Women's Day and you can't help but notice these things. I must also mention the LGBT community and the diversity in religion that is represented and the topic of race is also a notable attribute to this book. With the many languages present, it comes as no surprise the variety of characters that arise and there are some disturbing scenes of hate.
This book was a slow burner. If after a few chapters, you stop and think you're not getting anywhere, I implore you to keep going. I went days between those first 10 chapters but I became addicted. I can't tell you when it happened but when I got to 80%, I was ravenous and would've rather died than put it down at all. If I only had one word to describe this book it would be: Empowering.
"As she breathed in she whispered to herself, 'I am,' and, as if willing it would make it so, she said, 'at peace.'"
August 30, 2024
at every single stage of this book is just had to question why the characters were doing what they were doing - i’m surprised that i managed to finish it but it was out of pure morbid curiosity than enjoyment. the erotic stories weren’t even that good for the whole plot to hinge on how revolutionary they were - i understand the translating into other languages and the political significance of it but for a book literally about erotic fiction it was way too heavy on the politics - it just felt weird and forced and i hated the writing style
July 26, 2018
From the chick lit cover, I was not prepared for such a lyrical, sensitive and culturally diverse book as this. By the end I was totally invested in the main characters, and was disappointed when it ended. Will be searching out other books by this author.
October 10, 2018
This had it all for people who like to read contemporary romance. Characters that you want to keep talking about, love stories for all of them, a cute dog, an awesome Nonna, as well as real life problems and discussions. read it!
February 15, 2020
Totally boring, like watching paint dry. I got to just under half way through and gave up. Light spoiler but who wants to just read about a group of friends writing erotic stories and nothing else much happening. Not my kind of book.
December 10, 2025
Need to reread it I think
September 22, 2020
Dnf, not what I expected, nor was in the mood for!
July 27, 2018
A beautiful book.I loved the pace and the build. I felt for Anna and her circumstances, how the family was placed in its setting, and her relationships with her friends/colleagues. I was rooting for her the whole time. Cordelia was a solid spunky addition to the story.
The stories within a story all worked beautifully. You always wanted more from the Love Factory tales from the Love Factory as did the fictitious customers.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to NetGalley for providing me a complimentary copy of The Love Factory in exchange for my honest review.
The stories within a story all worked beautifully. You always wanted more from the Love Factory tales from the Love Factory as did the fictitious customers.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to NetGalley for providing me a complimentary copy of The Love Factory in exchange for my honest review.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews