It's hard not to hope that Margo comes out ok in this novel. She's a college student who get pregnant with her married professor's baby and keeps the baby. She supports herself by joining Only Fans. Add in her former pro wrestler dad and former Hooters waitress mom and it sounds like a comedy but it really isn't. It's a good read.

Margo finds herself pregnant at 19 after a whirlwind affair with her married English professor. She decides to keep the baby despite everyone she knows telling her that it will ruin her life. Things are certainly hard when little Bodhi enters her life, but she has zero regrets about having him and is determined to raise him herself. It's looking grim until a random comment by her recently returned and retired professional wrestler dad leads Margo into the world of OnlyFans and a whole lot of new problems come up. But it's nothing determined Margo can't handle as long as she keeps doing her hardest and trusting in herself.

It's a very simple story full of complex characters and complicated topics. Margo is very straightforward in her thinking and actions so it's interesting to see the complicated people she has to deal with in her quest to being able to raise Bodhi and having enough money to do it. Her decision to start an OnlyFans is almost an afterthought to her dire need of money, but the way she fights not to let others shame her for it and the way she takes ownership of her "character" and what she puts out there is downright inspiring. You spend the majority of the book rooting for her to do what she wants becuase the only one who should have a say in it is her. I loved that.

I did have some trouble at first with the way the book is written because the voice jumps from first-person to third-person and I-don't-know-what-person, but there's a reason for it and I eventually got used to the unusual narrative structure. I guess I understand why Thorpe chose to tell the story that way, but it almost made me give up on the great story of Margo. I feel like the story is enjoyable beyond needing the extra detail of how it's told if that makes any sense.

Overall, I really enjoyed seeing Margo grow into herself and find that she can be who she wants and not let what others think define her or how she lives her life.

Happy thanks to NetGalley and William Morrow for the intriguing read!

Margo's Got Money Troubles by Rufi Thorpe was such a blast!
The story is funny and oh so clever.
The writing was smart and fun. I devoured it and was sad to see it end.
I thought the characters were quirky and interesting.
I will definitely be picking up this authors next upcoming title.

Thank You NetGalley and William Morrow for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

Margo has had a rough year. When she finds herself pregnant (with her English teacher’s baby), she realizes her current waitressing job isn’t exactly conducive to finding reliable childcare. On top of that, two of her roommates have moved out, and her estranged father has shown up on her doorstep.
So Margo decides to get creative, and signs up for Only Fans. This is a story about a fierce woman sticking up for herself and for her child, facing expected and unexpected obstacles along the way. It was comical, heartbreaking, intriguing, and devastating all at once. Fantastic book.

This is book was just my flavor. The perfect balance of humor and trauma. Everything didn’t get wrapped up in a neat little unrealistic bow, but things were handled. This was great. Margo was a fascinating and inspiring FMC. I honestly have no negative notes. This was easily digestible, flowed extremely well, and kept my interest from start to finish. I kind of hope there’s a sequel with JB and Ghost Ink??

Ps I hope mom rots

Thanks so much to NetGalley and William Morrow for the eGalley.

This was my first from Rufi Thorpe but it absolutely will not be my last. I really enjoyed her writing style and voice. I loved how the narrative switched between first and third person omniscient. I thought this was so refreshing and made the story even more compelling. It was ridiculous and funny and also tender. I really appreciate when authors can explore serious topics with humor. I found some parts of the story hard to believe (such as the fact that Margo didn’t consider childcare for the entire nine months of her pregnancy) 😂. However, I had to remind myself that she was 19 at times and of how naive I was at that age.

I appreciate how Thorpe is attempting to attack the stigma of sex work/OF as well as addiction. I don’t know that I agree 100% with the messages but it was definitely thought provoking and made me reconsider a lot I always appreciate when a book can do that. For that and the writing style alone, I give it 4 stars! Also, the narration by Elle Fanning on audio was fantastic 👌🏼

I'm giving this one 4.5 stars, and am torn on rounding up or rounding down, hopefully by the end of this review I'll have my decision.

I went into this almost totally blind, I knew it was about a 19 year old who gets pregnant after an affair with her professor, but some how missed the entire OnlyFans part. My critical reading skills were really on point here. Anyway, I really ended up loving this story. There's so much growth in Margo, going from some dumb 19 year old kid who basically keeps her kid because her mom and the professor said it'd be a stupid thing to do, to figuring out how to be a parent, how to earn an income. I especially loved the relationship between her and her father. While both at times took issue with the actions of the other, and took time to reflect, they continued to support on another. At no time between the two of them did you ever think there wasn't love, it was true unconditional love. You also start to see more sides of Margo's mom, she's definitely got her own issues going on, but by the end I found it harder to hate her for her choices.

The drop in the half star is the writing, it flips back and forth between first person and third person. I think it's really all written in first person as Margo telling us her story, but at times whatever part of the story she's telling us about she has to view her past self as someone else to get the story across. I will say, it took me a good 1/3 or so into the book to get the hang of it. At first, I honestly thought it was two separate people.

I think I've decided on five stars, since that writing style was the only issue I had, and it was clearly done intentionally (based on the English 102 class where she meets the professor), I don't think it justifies a full star demotion. I also flew through this book, if work had gotten in the way I probably would have finished it in a couple days.

Thanks to NetGalley for the arc!

I think the beginning of this book was a little prescient. It was like the author knew I was not ever going to feel close to this book. It had its moments. It just never grabbed me and I as disappointed by the neatness of it in the end. I enjoyed the perspective on female sexuality. The book was not what I was hoping for. It wasn’t the fun I was hoping to have.

(Thanks to @williammorrowbooks #gifted.) By the time I read 𝗠𝗔𝗥𝗚𝗢’𝗦 𝗚𝗢𝗧 𝗠𝗢𝗡𝗘𝗬 𝗧𝗥𝗢𝗨𝗕𝗟𝗘𝗦 last month, I’d already seen at least 15 reviews and they were ALL positive. That made for some very high expectations, but I’m happy to say Rufi Thorpe easily fulfilled my soaring assumptions in this, her fourth winning book.⁣
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The title really says it all. Margo, a single mom (thanks to her college English professor) is already broke and down when she realizes that the cost of daycare is more than she can possibly make in the type of jobs she’s qualified for. Plus, the thought of leaving her tiny son in the care of others is terrifying. Margo, inspired by her father’s pro wrestling career, takes an unusual path toward financial independence. It doesn’t go smoothly, but what else can she do?⁣
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I think what I loved the most about this book was the rich cast of characters created by Thorpe. The relationship between Margo and her father, Jinx, was so special and so complicated that I absolutely adored it. But, beyond those two, almost every character stood out in one way or another. Together they brought to life what I think is Rufi Thorpe’s most endearing novel to date. Sometimes told in first person, other times in third, the book covered really tough topics. Yes, sometimes Margo’s problems were resolved a little neatly, but there was SO MUCH to love. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫⁣
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“She felt incredibly stupid. For believing him, for having the affair with him, for having a uterus.”⁣
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“How much kindness would mean right now, and how unwilling anyone was to give it. How sacred the baby was to her, and how mundane and irritating the baby was to others. Margo felt so raw and leaking, so mortal, and yet stronger than she’d ever been.”⁣
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“It wasn’t clear to me if Jinx was okay or if I should worry. It was sort of like adopting an exotic pet you had no idea how to care for. Did he have OCD?”

I loved this book! What a romping good time Margo and her crew throw us. So many things going on for Margo and in her face problems that we root for her to overcome. I must now go and read her other two books, see you later.

I was really excited about this book, and it started off great. I thought very witty, and I was really enjoying the main character, but I had some trouble with the switch between 1st and 3rd person POV. I thought some of the book was a little over the top, but I liked the ending and how everything wrapped up so I would say this was an average read for me.

Margo is nineteen, having an affair with her college professor, and working as a waitress at a local diner. She never would have thought that her professor, Mark, would knock her up then try to convince her to get rid of it.

Margo believes she needs to have this child and gives birth to her son, Bodhi. Everyone told her she wasn’t ready, but she didn’t listen. Now she’s unemployed, barely scraping by, and everyone around her has turned a blind eye. Daycares are full, she’s lost all help and doesn’t know where to turn until her father brings up his wrestling days and how one of his friends has an OnlyFans profile. Curiously Margo does some research and decides that OnlyFans would be the only way for her to earn money, work from home, and be able to care for Bodhi.

I had no idea what I was getting into when I started this book, but now I feel like I’ve gained some unwanted knowledge about how OnlyFans works and how realistic WWE performances are portrayed. This story was humorous, entertaining, and I rooted for Margo when her life was getting tough. All the characters were likable, except for creepy Mark, and I loved being apart of Margo’s story.

What an emotional rollercoaster of a book. You will laugh, you will cry, you will find yourself rooting for the main character throughout the entire book. This book is all over the place in what actually happens - it adds to the charm and in ways realistic nature of the main character. When a brief affair with her professor ends with a baby, 20 year old Margo finds herself struggling with a newborn. When she turns to Only Fans to make money and be home for her son and the support of her dad, she never expects to become so successful. I loved the realistic challenges portrayed, the relationships surrounding a young, single mother and the entertaining parts mixed in with the difficult parts of life. My main issue with the book was that it switched between 3rd person and 1st person perspective, which really bothered me for some reason. Overall, a cute, entertaining book that will make you feel for the characters.
Thank you Netgalley for my advanced reader copy.

Happy release day!!!

Thank you to NetGalley and Willam Morrow Publishing for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review

Overall, there were things I really liked about this book and then things I did not like. I thought it was a unique and interesting premise, and I enjoyed the complexities of Margo’s character and her development. I also enjoyed the commentary about sex work and women’s sexuality. I feel that this was falsely advertised as a comedy because while
unique and interesting, it was most definitely not funny. My expectations were more skewed towards comedy, which made it more difficult for me to enjoy because it was not what I would have expected. I think it would’ve been more enjoyable if advertised as a drama or women’s fiction. I also feel that the occasional perspective shifts and narration changes were inconsistent and confusing and did not add anything to the story. I loved the character of Jinx, one of my favorite parts. Will probably be thinking about it for a while

THIS BOOK!

First of all, can we just appreciate this vibrant and fun cover? One of my faves of the year!

I went into this book a bit trepidatiously - I saw so many early rave reviews and then read the synopsis and was like what?? A young adult who has an affair with her college professor, gets pregnant, has money issues and starts an OnlyFans page, and ends up living with her washed up ex-WWE wrestler dad? How is this a 5 star read???

Well.....it is! The VOICE of this novel (and I don't mind literal voice, I read this with my eyeballs) is so unique! This is my first Rufi Thorpe book and I truly cannot compare her writing or characters to any others I have read. Her characters are so over the top but grounded in reality - I don't know how she did it. How did I end up caring so much about these characters and what would happen to them. This book was hilarious and moving at the same time - sometimes in the same sentence! I fell in love with Margo and her father Jinx and was so invested in their broken yet beautiful relationship.

There's also a very difficult and messed up dynamic between Margo and her mother - a former Hooters waitress, now engaged to a very odd and religious man, who has changed her ways and now has many many opinions about Margo's lifestyle. This relationship was very layered and I found myself on numerous occasions wanting to smack the mom across the face.

I don't really know how to put into words how I felt about this one. I really loved it. Just give it a chance - go in not knowing much and have an open mind with the whole OnlyFans thing. If that aspect of it would turn you off, I promise it will actually have you laughing out loud and caring so much for Margo (and her sweet roommate and her hilarious new OnlyFans friends) and also defending that she is a GREAT mother even if her profession might make people think otherwise.

I loved every minute of this weird, quirky, unique book and it will absolutely be on my list of best books in 2024! I heard it is being made into a miniseries starring Elle Fanning and Nicole Kidman and I cannot wait to watch it!

Thank you to Netgalley & William Morrow for this advanced copy in exchange for my honest opinion!

In a summer of buzzy books, MARGO’S GOT MONEY TROUBLES is truly a standout title. Take a scroll through your social media feeds this week and you’d be hard pressed not to find multiple posts praising it — and it IS praise-worthy!

After a six-week affair with her English professor, Margo has found herself alone and pregnant. The only thing she’s certain of is keeping the baby. Everything else, she hopes, will fall into place — and help does come from the most unlikely of sources: a cosplaying roommate, her ex-WWE star father, and OnlyFans.

Within weeks Margot is seeing her follower count double, triple. And she’s making more money than she ever thought possible. Though it’s not the life she had imagined, Margot and Bodhi are making their way just fine. But when Mark suddenly decides he wants custody of the child he never met (claiming Margo’s career will irreparably harm his son), Margo’s thrown into a tailspin.

All those posts, all the blurbs and starred reviews lauding this one? Believe them. MARGO is a book absolutely worth the hype. On its surface, a novel about a floundering teen mom dealing with the aftermath of an affair with her teacher might not seem like a summery read — but it’s so much more. There’s character growth in spades, found family, love in all its forms, fun wrestling behind-the-scenes and Easter eggs (thought readers who weren’t around for the Monday Night Wars won’t find themselves lost).

Though there were times the book felt longer than its barely 300-page length, I was fully there every step of the way. Thorpe continues her literary rise and I can’t wait to see what she does next! Be the coolest person in your friend group and get yourself a copy of this book now!

This book was hard for me to get into but once i was in a few chapters, it hooked me. It was not what i thought it was at all. It made me think about my preconceptions. I do not know how i would have handled her life with a baby and not much help. I ended up really liking Margo and how she was able to come up with a way to support her kid and still be a good mother. I think this is a good read and encourage you to try this book. It was really unexpected.

I had a free ARC copy from net galley for an unbiased opinion.

This was such a unique and fun read, that I truly wasn't expecting. I didn't read a lot about this book before diving into it, so the topics took me a bit by surprise. The pace of the first half kept me highly engaged and interested, while the second half dragged a bit for me. I was absolutely engaged enough to finish it out, but I missed the humor and pace of the beginning.

Highlights of this book for me were the unique grown child/parent relationships, the emphasis on how hard we make it for moms to have a career, and a glimpse into the world of social media and why these moms may be drawn into it. My favorite part was the humor of the author- this book has me laughing aloud throughout, and rooting for the main character. This was a thoughtful and creative read and I look forward to what this author writes next!

This was my favorite book of the year so far. I loved Margo's story and it is a definite re-read for me!

I read 50% of this straight through on a road trip and then decided to take a break. But once I was reading something else, I found myself missing the story and now that it's over, I miss it even more. It wasn't exactly what I expected and from the reviews it seemed like it would be most laugh at loud funny but I wound up really enjoying it. Love Jinx despite his shortcomings. Margo is frustrating but you still want to keep rooting for her. Excited to check out more from this author.