I ATE THIS UP!!! I saw a ton of my mutuals reading this one, so I had to pick up the ARC. This was so much fun, and kept me hooked from the very beginning. Margo is such a mess, and I love her so dearly. Margo is truly such a fun human, and this book gives so much insight into her way of thinking and her complicating, truly troubling life. Margo's wild decisions allowed me to live vicariously, perhaps on the edge, in ways I would never actually do in real life. She's such an icon, and the only way I can describe her is someone I very desperately want to be friends with in real life.

Margo is cool in an unconventional way. The way she loves her friends and family felt so familiar to me, and her relationship with the other people around her reminded me of myself in an uncanny way. Margo is a relatable queen, but also a secondhand embarassing queen, so proceed with caution when reading her story.

I loved the switches between first and third person, and for some reason, reading this book was like watching a great Netflix show. I can't wait to see what Rufi Thorpe writes next, because this was SO MUCH FUN. And I loved the writing style, the characters, and the captivating and timely storyline.

This book has completely charmed me!

Margo’s Got Money Troubles follows Margo, a young mother who turns to OnlyFans to support herself and her newborn son, while repairing her relationship with her estranged father. It’s a story that straddles the line between lit fic and contemporary, but I think fans of all genres will find something to love with this one.

While the plot was engrossing from start to finish what I loved most was the depth Rufi Thorpe gave each character. Even if they were only briefly mentioned, you fully understand who they are and what their motives are. Thorpe does an excellent job of writing truly human characters. They all (even Margo) make mistakes that will have you cringing at times, but you will be cheering them on the entire time.

It’s hard to compare this story to any others as it is very unique, but if you enjoy coming-of-age stories, family dramas, or stories about motherhood, you’ll want to pick this up immediately!

Margo’s Got Money Troubles is out now. Thanks to William Morrow and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I'll be honest, I almost didn't read this one because I feel like I am slightly older than the intended audience as a mom of teenagers in my early forties and my knowledge of OnlyFans was minimal at best. However, I am really glad that I didn't take a pass because this book was a complete and utter delight. As a mother, there were times that I wanted to to grab Margo by the shoulders and talk some sense into her, but the feminist in me also admired her gumption and her go-getter attitude when faced with a lot and I mean a lot of baggage from her gambling addicted mother to her drug addicted father, and her dick of a baby daddy.

Margo may have money problems, but she also has a lot of heart and I absolutely fell in love with all the characters except a few standouts that when you read the book, you will know exactly whom I am talking about. Even though the storyline is mainly about legal borderline sex/camera work, it highlights the problems that women have always had and what has historically been the easiest thing for women to sell when society makes it nearly impossible to do anything else. At her core, Margo is an entrepreneur like her wrestling father, Jinx and is not only a terrific mom, but an astute businesswoman. I could not help but cheer her on, even despite a bit of cringing at her career choices.

I read this on vacation and it was the perfect lighthearted beach read for me. My only complaint was the switching between third and first person point of view. Even though it is explained, as an English major it still drove me a bit nuts, but I eventually learned to ignore it.

Definitely recommended for the younger to mid Millennial crowd and older moms who are not turned off by talk of dick pics and masturbation even though there is nothing glaringly descriptive or spicy.

Thank you to NetGalley, Rufi Thorpe, and William Morrow for an advanced reader's copy in exchange for an honest review.

3.5*
Margo is on her own. She has been abandoned by her family, the father of her baby and even by the system. A single parent at 20, her options are limited and at every turn, things seem to go from bad to worse. Given that her mother is self-absorbed and of no help at all, and that her absentee father is a former drug addict and retired wrestler, Margo looks to earn money any way she can.

Her solution to earning money right in her own home may be seen as unsavory, but the novel demonstrates how good a mother Margo is and that her work should not disqualify her from raising her baby on her own. Thorpe has created memorable and unique characters who are more than their jobs and their circumstances. Fortunately, Margo has an understanding roommate and her father’s sudden appearance leads to unique situations.

Threats to remove the baby from the home bring entirely new challenges. Questions challenging Margo’s chosen profession bring legal concerns into the mix. But there is one constant - Margo’s love for her baby and her determination to maintain a safe environment for him.

The story is unusual in its subject matter. Wrestling brings new territory to a woman’s story of making ends meet. The theatrical nature and the physical toll of wrestling contribute to the atypical plot. But the point about assumptions made, perceptions of the moral highground and what makes a good parent, all play into the serious points that underly the novel.

The book is a bit risqué with a little humor and a lot of compassion, carrying the novel to a satisfying conclusion.

I absolutely loved this book and am so sad I will not be spending more time with Margo and Jinx.

At 20 years old Margo finds herself single, unemployed, and with a newborn. As she tries to figure out how she will provide for herself and her son, Margo's father comes in to her life in a more consistent way. As they figure out how to co-exist and raise her son, she finds some less common ways to make money.

I loved Margo's character so much, and I loved how she interacted with the other characters. Jinx was so sweet and hilarious, and I loved KC and Rose. I loved JB and could have read so much more of their back and forth writing.

This is one of the more unique and quirky novels I've read lately, in such a good way. All of Margo's ideas and the carrying out of them was so wonderfully described.

I have read one of Rufi Thorpe's previous books and now I cannot wait to check out the others -- and can't wait to see what's next for her! I would recommend this to anyone looking for a very sweet, endearing, and hilarious novel that also touches on real issues and how people come together in times of need. It's so good.

Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced copy of this book!

This book started popping up in Goodreads, and I knew I needed to read it. I was gifted with an advanced copy by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. I will share my conflicting thoughts about this book.

Honestly, there were a few times that I almost abandoned the book; however, the quirkiness kept pulling me in. Margo is a nineteen year old who finds herself in quite a predicament; she’s young with a newborn and little to no support. She turns to OnlyFans and TikTok and begins to see success. By doing this type of work, she is able to care for her child, Bodhi, in her apartment.

There are a few parts in the story where the perspective shifts from first person to third person point of view. It was confusing for me. I honestly thought at one point that maybe we were getting the first person point of view from another character. I thought that maybe there would be a twist, and we’d find out that some of the story had been exaggerated. (I was a little disappointed that this didn’t happen.) 🤷🏼‍♀️

While the characters were quirky, yet mostly realistic, I had a hard time with Margo’s WWE wrestler dad, Jinx. Maybe it was the wrestling, but it felt like his character made the whole story feel far-fetched. Maybe that’s why I was looking for the twist?

I also had some moral conflicts with some of the content in the story; however, this book was a page-turner for me. This book really had me thinking about Margo’s situation and suspending my judgment about her decision to share her body via OnlyFans. Although, I hated her mother, I felt judgy like her throughout the book! 🙈 I found it interesting to hear about the process of a content creator, and I enjoyed watching Margo grow up and into herself throughout the story.

Overall, I’m glad I read the book. It was very different than books I typically read. If you’re curious about the life of a young mother trying to earn a living as a content creator while navigating relationships with her challenging parents and roommates, give this book a try. If you can’t get over Margo sharing her body on OnlyFans, skip it.

Thank you to the publisher for quickly approving my request for a copy of the book!

The author writes well and tells a compelling story of a bright nineteen year old junior college student who has an affair with her late thirty something professor and gets pregnant. This book deals with money and class and the choices we make as consequences of the circumstances we’re born into.

I thought the author did a great job injecting humor into some of the routine aspects of the protagonist’s life—for example I audibly laughed out loud at the author’s description of a transvaginal ultrasound. I thought through the protagonist’s interactions with the other characters, the author highlighted how individualistic of a society America is, and how the proverbial “village,” no longer exists for many. In the end I do think there’s a bit of the found family trope.

I’ve never read a book in alternating first and third person. I though it mostly worked in the beginning of the book, although it was a little jarring at times towards the middle of the book. Maybe the point is the dramatic irony of it and harkening back to the junior college seminars, but I didn’t think it flowed naturally, or perhaps there was just a cognitive load for the reader—maybe intentional, but made it harder to get through. I thought some of the dialogue was unrealistic. There were times where Jinx used pretty flowery language which was hard to imagine him actually saying.

Overall, I would definitely recommend this book as an interesting read, but warn you that it might inspire a GLOW rewatch.

This was a cute read in a non-normal genre for me. It was the perfect palate cleanser between fantasy and thriller books. It was a quick read that didn't require a lot of brainpower to get through. It had me laughing a few times, but overall it was kind of forgettable.

Margo Millet’s always known that she’d have to figure out how to make it on her own. The child of a Hooters waitress and an ex-professional wrestler, she enrolls at her local community college in an attempt to find a career she can survive on - but ends up sleeping with (and getting pregnant by) her English professor instead. Against everyone’s advice, she keeps the baby and finds herself a single, unemployed parent at twenty. When her estranged father shows up and asks to move in with her, she agrees, hoping he’ll help with child care - and then has the brilliant idea to start an OnlyFans, using some of her father’s wrestling advice to help her craft her persona. But online fame comes with a price - and Margo’s about to find out what it is. I have put off writing my thoughts on this one because I loved it so much that I don’t know how to do it justice! I texted a friend this week that I was jealous that I didn’t write the book, and that remains true. I loved every moment of this funny, smart, kind of heart-breaking book about parents (and parenting) growing up, and making your way in the world. Incredibly rich world-building and some of the best characters I’ve ever encountered in fiction make this an absolute standout. One of my favorite reads of the year - and one I’ll be thinking about for a long time.

Wow -- I absolutely loved this book! There are so many interesting characters that you care about deeply - it's about being young, making choices, trying to understand how to earn a living and be a good parent, a good daughter and friend. The author ingeniously goes from first person to omniscient third person as a way to gain perspective on what is happening to Margo, our main character. What I loved is the author tells us when she is switching perspective and even has an explanation up=front about it linked back to the English class Margo is taking at the time. All of the characters have redeeming qualities, as flawed and as human as they are. I particularly liked the scenes of Margo and her baby - as well as her dad with his grandchild -- very realistic and touching. Even though Margo and her family's choices and life experiences are vastly different than my own - the characters are very relatable. I could not put this book down. I highly recommend it!

Thank you to Netgalley and William Morrow for an ARC and I voluntarily left this review.

Margo's Got Money Troubles unfolds the depths a mother will go to provide for her children. After a breif romance with an English professor, Margo finds herself pregnant and alone. She makes questionable choices in order to provide for her son. The story made a point that no one should be shamed for supporting their child. As a mother, reading this book, I found Margo relatable and honorable despite her flawed character. The support she recieved from her equally flawed father, was heartwarming and her continue dedication to him showed true love. The novel had me laughing and crying all at the same time. This was one of my favorite books of the year so far. Easily a 5 star read! I recommend this story to mothers, fathers, and anyone who feels they have a right to pass judgement onto others.

As great as everyone says it is. Wow wow I loved this one so much. A great vacation read or weekend read or stay up too late reading read.

Margo’s Got Money Troubles by Rufi Thorpe
Contemporary fiction, chick lit, humorous.
As the child of a former Hooters waitress and an ex-pro famous wrestler, Margo Millet’s always known she’d have to be self supporting. She starts junior college and is singled out by her English professor and soon enough, ends up pregnant. Though he now claims married, Margo decides she wants to keep the baby. Her school roommates move out complaining about the crying baby leaving Margo with an apartment she can’t afford since she also lost her job.
When her estranged father, Jinx, shows up, he agrees to move in and help with the rent and provide childcare. Margo takes a page from Jinx’s career of storytelling and creates an internet account selling photos of herself. Her success is up and down as she learns what works, what’s new and how to make money. But certain careers come with scrutiny and Margo needs to be strong or she could lose everything.

Poor Margo. She’s been taken advantage of by her professor and is simply trying to do the right thing. She is also naive allowing others to make things worse. Margo is trusting and sometimes too much. I’d say she’s a “good girl” but that’s a bit derogatory. Her mother made me so mad but Margo understands. Her father is wonderful but has his own problems.
Without spoiling it in detail, Margo does learn and grows strong. She’s smart and proves it. I was certain ing cheering her on in those last chapters.

Funny moments that will have you laughing, but also sad as she struggles through a lot. It comes down to self empowerment. And Margo is all over it.

I received a copy of this from NetGalley.

Margo is a 19 year old college student who was knocked up by her English professor. She decides to keep the baby and drops out of school. She raises the baby alone - living with a roommate, and her estranged father, a heroin-addicted ex-wrestler. She supports her child by becoming a sex worker, starting an online sex web cam site.

A fresh, humorous take what are tragically all too common societal issues, I have to say this is a story with heart, and will have you rooting for Margo. On the con side, I feel that it glamorizes pornography and minimizes the opiate crisis which is claiming so many lives today. As a former professor, it irks me that the father of Margo's baby really did not suffer any consequences here.

I think this is a good novel, don't get me wrong, but the publicity push behind this, with the Apple TV adaptation and the Elle Fanning narration are definitely factors behind its popularity.

My appreciation to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for providing a digital ARC for review.

Margot's in trouble. She is pregnant from her affair with her professor, one she wasn't really all-in for but now there are consequences. No one wants her to keep it-neither the professor nor her. mother. Out of her own sense of independence, she keeps her baby but realizes too late how much work a baby is. Her roommates move out because they hate the baby, she loses her job because she can't get childcare, and on top of that her former Hooter's waitress mom has found love with a pastor and doens't want to lose her relationship by telling him that her daughter is an unwed mother. On top of all of that, her father (who has been in and out of her life due to his other family and professional wrestling) has asked to move in with her. Margot learns about Only Fans and decides that it might be the only way she can make money and take care of her family.

Thorpe dives right into modern issues- childcare, money problems, the worth of a college degree, addiction. etc and explores them with humor and sympathy. Margot is a wonderful, well-rounded character. She is smart but is still 20 years-old and makes mistakes that have screaming at the book because you want her to do better. The characters around her are funny and a perfect salve for the hard bits of the book. The book is also quirky without being annoying (think Jess from New Girl without all of her hobbies).

You should read this if you want a slice of life, displaying the humor that the world holds.

Adult Fiction-This books is best suited for adult readers due to topics of sex work and OnlyFans.
This was a perfect summer read for me. I finished it in two days because I became so invested in Margo and her family I just had to keep reading to find out if Margo would survive her money troubles. This book definitely is not for everyone. A main part of the story is Margo developing her online persona for her OnlyFans account, but what it is really about is the stigma that is connected to women who choose to do sex work.

Overall Review:5/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Cover Appeal: 5/5 Great cover! Definitely will grab the reader's attention.

This was such a fun book! I was immediately intrigued by the premise for the book - a young woman who falls pregnant and turns to OnlyFans to support herself and her child - but when I was reading the story I was surprised at how quickly it moved past her pregnancy and child birth and into raising her son. The characters were all very flawed but likeable and it was sad but endearing to see Margo go through so many struggles and find her unique ways out of them.

OBSESSED. This was the perfect summer vacation read! I highly recommend to all. The cover is also beautiful which is always a bonus!

There was definitely a lot going on for Margo! She definitely gets herself into some bad situations, but a lot of bad things also happen to her. I would love to read a sequel to this book, 20 years later, from her son’s perspective. I really liked this book!

This may be one of the funniest books I read this year. The very real feelings of scrambling to figure out life's many financial stressors on top of being a new mom are so accurate. I loved the empowerment and humor, and maybe this has me wanting to sell feet pics. Maybe.