This was the perfect kind of summer read for me with its smart writing that went down easy. Based on the cover, it looks like brain candy, and it does kind of read that way, but it’s backed with real substance. This book explores themes of motherhood, wrestling, addiction, and sex work, which might sound like an odd combination, but in Thorpe’s hands it really works.

At the beginning I was worried I would end up being too annoyed by Margo to enjoy the rest of the book (this is a common issue for me). Luckily, Margo grew on me pretty quickly - she’s doing the best she can in a tough situation and I couldn’t help but root for her. And I fell in love with the incredible cast of memorable and distinct side characters too.

Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow for the free copy in exchange for my honest review!

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was truly an incredible novel.

We follow Margo, who is struggling after an affair with her English professor leaves her pregnant at nineteen. The story evolves as she experiences financial, familial and relationship issues, eventually deciding to make a living by doing OnlyFans and bringing a whole lot of new complexity into her already difficult life.

Let me begin by saying I never thought I would read a literary fiction novel where I would get teary-eyed at a scene of a character playing Fortnite. This is the kind of story this is - one where simple everyday moments get brought under the microscope and examined in such deliberate and powerful depth. Concepts you perhaps should not write literary fiction about, such as Fornite, OnlyFans and TikTok, are portrayed poignantly to form a vulnerable and honest picture of the character in a way that make you fall in love with her.

This is a novel of uncertainty, of making mistakes and making things right and not knowing which is which, of not knowing whether you can trust yourself and others, of not being able to decipher what is real and not. What was real, however, is my love for Margo and the sympathy I felt for her as she navigated what the hell it means to be an adult, a mother and a daughter.

It is rare to see such relatable descriptions of what it means to be low-income, to be within a fractured family, to be young and have no fucking clue what to do. While there were so many things about Margo different to those in my life, I could not help but be completely entangled in her character. I was forced to feel both entrapped by her particular circumstances and liberated by her choice to remain powerful against all odds. It felt like we were on a journey together and if that isn’t that a sign of a great novel, what is?

Lastly, can someone give Margo a good hug?

Well, go, Margo! Margo finds herself in a difficult situation…pregnant by her college professor. Soon things get worse, as she loses her job and roommates. Margo finds the only solution she can think of to her financial dilemma. Will this solution mean that she loses custody of her child? This was a story that was funny at times, but also very sad at other times. I enjoyed the author’s style of writing!

From the description, I could tell this would be good but it was even better than I imagined -- so funny, so fresh, so smart. This author can WRITE and her latest book is no exception. I truly can't wait until this book gets adapted because this is such a unique, important story. Read this book!!

I absolutely loved this book, and I give it my highest recommendation. Margo's Got Money Troubles comes out next week on June 11, 2024,
you can purchase HERE, and I hope you consider reading this one as well as past works from this author reviewed HERE and HERE!
You are about to begin reading a new book, and to be honest, you are a little tense. The beginning of a novel is like a first date. You hope that from the first lines an urgent magic will take hold, and you will sink into the story like a hot bath, giving yourself over entirely. But this hope is tempered by the expectation that, in reality, you are about to have to learn a bunch of people's names and follow along politely like you are attending the baby shower of a woman you hardly know.

And that's fine, goodness knows you've fallen in love with books that didn't grab you in the first paragraph. But that doesn't stop you from wishing they would, from wishing they would come right up to you in the dark of your mind and kiss you on the throat.

I wasn’t really sure what to expect when diving into this book, but wow did it deliver! The very first paragraph hooked me and by the second paragraph (IYKYK 🤣) I knew I was in for some laughs!

This book is a truly hilarious and heartfelt story about nineteen year old Margo, who finds herself pregnant and broke. We follow her struggles as a sometime naive, sometimes clever single mom, trying to make ends meet in a world she doesn’t quite understand. I especially loved the relationship with her estranged pro wrestler dad and how it evolves throughout the book.

This story took me on a rollercoaster of emotions but I was always rooting for Margo! Although this quirky and edgy book will not be for everyone, it was a great read that really makes you think!

Thank you to William Morrow and NetGalley for the ARC.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance copy. This book was an absolute delight. No one writes a quirky main character better than Rufi Thorpe. I adored Margo and the way she took control of her life and made her own decisions for herself and her baby. I also loved the Fullerton College and other North Orange County references. There aren’t many books set here, so it was very fun to read all of that.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review from Netgalley,

4.5 stars rounded up for uniqueness and joy of reading. I really loved Thorpe’s voice in this novel. If you were to tell me there are multiple changes from 1st to 3rd person and breaking of the fourth wall, I might have been put off, but she makes it work.

While the blurb talks about OnlyFans and pro wrestling, there is a lot more going on than the blurb could possibly explain. Through the twists and the turns, I was intrigued and along for the ride.

This has solidified Thorpe as an auto-buy author for me. I loved her previous novel, which was equally unique but completely different in premise.

“Margo’s Got Money Troubles” is a new twist on an underdog story. Margo is pregnant with her married English professor child. He and her mother both don’t want her to keep the baby, but she wants to do the “right” thing. Except Margo at 20 years old, doesn’t realize the scope of that decision until her son arrives. She loves her son, but now she is struggling to make ends meet. In order to pay the bills, Margo creates an OnlyFans account and realizes this could be the answer to her problems, except it just causes more problems.

Overall, this story was enjoyable. I didn’t find it very funny as other reviewers have described. I spent the beginning of the novel frustrated with Margo, but she won me over by the end. I appreciate that the author wrote the character as a smart and capable woman growing into her power even as she struggled and made mistakes. The last 30% of the book had me hooked and I needed to know how her story ended. I didn’t love the switching between first and third person narration. I know the author did it for a reason and it took a while to get used to the transitions. I also found the descriptions of the TikTok videos baffling. I think they were meant to be funny, but it just showed how childish Margo was and made me cringe.

Thank you to NetGalley for this eARC! I also look forward to see the TV series adaption of this novel. I think it will lend well to that format.

Went into this not knowing too much about the synopsis but it ended up being a great story. Margo was the underdog from the beginning and transformed into a confident mother at the end despite all the shitty circumstances she was given. This story delves into sex work-OnlyFans- and the values and morals that Margo faces as she is trying to make money to provide for her son. It also sheds a light on how young mothers are treated. I was heartbroken when CPS showed up after all the progress she made only to find out her own mother called them. I thought the character development was excellent and really loved all of the characters even though Jinx and Shyanne were full of it and manipulative. It was a true underdog story and I was rooting for Margo the whole time.

4.5 stars. I loved this book. It checked all boxes for me - funny and clever and engaging with complex characters and a plot that will leave you delighted. I could picture the characters and wanted to sit and have breakfast with them. I found myself slowing down my reading pace to make this one last longer. Margo is the coolest. Thanks to the publisher for the gifted copy.

The cover of this book and the title intrigued me. The main character, Margo, was 19 and definitely had troubles including becoming accidentally pregnant. My favorite section was in chapter three while buying a baby stroller at Goodwill. Her worries about what her baby might grow up to be were so well written I had to read them out loud to my husband. But the story got serious when Margo had to deal with a need to make money and she discovered a unique way.

I received this book free of charge from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

What is Margo, a 19 year old, who is in college, finds out she is knocked up by one of professors, to do? She gets a job making Only Fans content, of course.

Margo is 19 and pregnant. She decides to keep the baby and soon finds out like is pretty hard. Next thing you know her, mostly absent dad, Jinx is moving in with her and the baby. Jinx used to be a pro wrestler and struggles with addiction.

This book had some great writing and made me laugh out loud several times. It is a fun and quirky read.

4/5 stars

I had no idea where this book was going but it was such a fun read. This is a modern, fresh, weird story with unique characters that will definitely pull you in. It's quirky and one-of-a kind.

Definitely pick this one up when it releases on June 11 and make sure you read The Knockout Queen by Rufi Thrope for another solid read.

Thank you to William Morrow Books and Netgalley for the electronic advanced copy.

"The beginning of a novel is like a first date." Unfortunately, "Margo's Got Money Troubles" will be my last date with Rufi Thorpe. Though I enjoyed this one more than I did her previous novel, "The Knockout Queen," I once again found the story and writing to be a bit juvenile (despite the mature subject matter of the story) and think this book would be better marketed as young adult than literary fiction. I did not like the repeated switches between first person and third person. I also could do without the parts of the novel that disparaged Christianity-saying that Mary lied about how she became pregnant and that she was actually raped did not add anything to the story. I get it, the author thinks Christianity is bad and doing pornography is okay, but you can make the case for pornography and how a woman should have the right to make a living in any manner she chooses without bringing Jesus's conception into it. This book glossed over the problematic relationship between a college professor and his student and, though it showed the struggles of being a singer mother, I think it made light of that challenge as well. I did find the portrayal of the over-zealous CYS worker to be spot on though; in my line of work I have encountered variations of that character in real life many times.

I liked the message of this story and the strength of Margo's character. However, I didn't like the execution and the whole book just felt immature to me. I guess I am not the audience for Ms. Thorpe's writing. There were parts I found humorous, especially the comparisons between penises and Pokémon, but overall a disappointing and lackluster read for me.

Thank you NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book.

I started this book somewhat blind & quickly realized it was definitely out of my comfort zone. I didn’t know what Onlyfans was before this book, so I took some time to process what it is & how I feel about it. I ended up rooting for Margo and her underdog story, even though her naïveté drove me a little crazy sometimes. I thought Thorpe did a great job of writing a realistic story of single motherhood with complicated relationships. My only issue is the side romance story that felt unrealistic & too good to be true. Thanks to NetGalley for an advanced copy!

Margo is an empathetic, loveable character. The story is engaging with an interesting, unusual plot. It leant great insight into the life of someone thrust into sex work.

“Look at me! Look at the beautiful, insane things I can do with my body! Look at me! Love me!”

Absolutely no one is writing books like Rufi Thorpe. When you think of a distinctive literary voice, Rufi Thorpe is it. Only Thorpe can take an off the walls cast of characters like Jinx, a pro wrestler celeb a la Hull Hogan or Margot, our naive yet spunky only fans creator, and create a story that is laugh out loud funny, yet emotionally poignant and raw.

Margot’s naïveté is at times charming and often skirts the realm of ludicrous. Every time I was one eye roll away from writing Margot and her story off, Thorpe expertly pulled me back in.

“But when they talked about the opportunities she would be missing, she’d thought they meant a four-year college. She hadn’t understood they meant that every single person she met, every new friend, every love interest, every employer, every landlord, would judge her for having made what they all claimed was the “right” choice.”

It’s this unfailing naïveté mixed with hope and relentless stubbornness that creates an intoxicating cocktail within Margot that you can’t help but root for. You don’t agree with her choices probably, you might wonder if she really is quite all there sometimes, yet she takes such sharp turns, giving readers a new perspective on sex and relationships, eloquently encapsulating experiences, slights, or pressures that likely felt so unique to you that you see bits of yourself reflected in her somehow.

“If the world doesn’t know you are loved, then you’re trash. I think that’s even true of people.”

It’s hard to put into words how this magic unfolds, but Thorpe writes a comedic scene that you’re engrossed in because it feels so outlandish, and before you know it, at the end of the paragraph or page you feel an emotional pang at being seen and understood. Themes of loneliness, depression, disappointment at yourself and with those who were supposed to guide you, are laid out in the open with the kind of honesty or air reserved for children, who somehow say the most honest, damndest things without any ulterior motive or guile.

“you said I can’t have it both ways, but why can’t I? Why can’t being genuine and putting on an act coexist? Aren’t we all always putting on an act?”

This book is a whacky, zany adventure that comes out the other side full of hope, female angsty rage and empowerment, and just that little bit of kindness that we all deserve to show ourselves.

“Look at me! Look at the beautiful, insane things I can do with my body! Look at me! Love me!”

Many thanks to @williammorrowbooks for a free copy and to @librofm for the complimentary audiobook! @ellefanning did such a great job capturing Margo's personality and characteristics- she also brought on all the humor that was intended for this story.
Let the record reflect I only picked up this book because:
1.@kell.of.a.read was raving about it.
2. The title was catching!
I've made it a habit to not really read the synopsis of the books I read. I just try to make sure it's a genre that I love and go for it. I wasn't sure what to really expect but I must say that this book was quite entertaining!
I felt for Margo, who had to stop taking college courses because she gets knocked up and all of a sudden becomes a single mom just trying to get by with little to no income and not much support from her mom. To help her make ends meet, she decides to start an OnlyFans account and things just get funnier from there.
I was proud of the way she went about this life changing event despite how young she was, she was so resilient and it was heartwarming to watch.
@kell.of.a.read had mentioned that | may not like this story because of some of the content. Now while some of it was a bit much and went against my Christian values, it was still very interesting to get a Birds Eye view on these characters and their personal struggles.
At the end of the day, I know everybody will do what they feel like they gotta do to survive, I just know it ain't for me (even though I joke about it from time to time probably too much now that I think about it...hmm.

This was a cute coming of age story. Not my preferred genre but I’m trying to step out of my comfort zone.
I liked the story about Margot and her having a baby and trying figure out how to navigate being a young mom without a job. I really wasn’t interested in the wrestling or the Only Fans part. That’s out of my interest area. The writing was well done and I’m interested in reading her back list.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the advanced copy in exchange for a honest opinion. 3⭐️

Having never read anything by Thorpe, I wasn't sure what to expect except I knew it was getting a lot of buzz. "Margo’s Got Money Troubles" is a rollercoaster of emotions that will leave you laughing, crying, and everything in between. Thorpe skillfully crafts flawed yet compelling characters whose struggles are both ridiculous and familiar. It definitely took me a moment to adjust to the narrative style, which alternates between third and first person perspectives, the payoff is worth it as it adds layers to the story. While there's a hint of romance woven in, the heart of the tale is Margo’s resilient journey and her quirky support system. Despite her missteps, her unwavering determination to forge ahead, even when clinging on by a thread, is both inspiring and relatable. Thorpe doesn’t neatly tie up every loose end, but leaves readers with a sense of hope.