OMG this book! It literally had everything you could want - belly laughs, tugged heartstrings, unconventional romance, and even a baby. This is one of my top reads this year and it was worth the long wait to get Rufi Thorpe's masterpiece that is Margo. I truly loved everything about this book and it even made me tear up a few times. I can't help but imagine Margo's life after the book because it has that much of a hold on me!

This book had more to it than I originally thought it would. The writing style was a little quirky, and took me a while to enjoy, but I eventually did. The characters were fun and interesting. There were times I wasn't sure where the story was going, but I kept rooting for Margo. Her story of being a single mom and thinking OnlyFans was her only option, opened my eyes to what single mothers may go through. While the book might not be for everyone, I enjoyed it. Thank you NetGalley and William Morrow for a digital arc of this title.

Thank you for this ARC. I loved it! I was drawn into Margo's world from the first sentence and was rooting for her the whole way. The commentary on sex, children, sexism, sex work, abortion and religion was incredibly nuanced and well done. I have already recommended this book to several people.

This book has all the makings for a big hit this summer - quirky characters down on their luck and crazy premise. Will be recommending it!

Thanks to William Morrow for the copy of this book!

Margo is thrown into adulthood when she becomes pregnant after having an affair with her English professor... and as a child of a Hooters waitress and a drug-addicted ex-pro wrestler, Margo knows that she's going to have to figure it out for herself.

I think at any age, having a baby is a shock. For Margo at the age of 20 with no great parental guidance and a baby daddy who isn't involved, this is really amplified. She's asked what she thought would happen when she had the baby and responds that since she did the socially responsible and what she thought was the right decision of keeping the baby, she thought everything would fall into place more easily. Instead, she struggles to make money and find childcare, and has to take matters into her own hands. She turns to OnlyFans, which causes an uproar amongst those around her.

This is a really clever story with unique storytelling. Being a parent is HARD, and there aren't a lot of systems in place to help. While most of us likely wouldn't turn to OnlyFans, I appreciated what this narrative brought to light about both social media platforms and parenting. I read this in one sitting and really enjoyed it!

Margo, a 19 year old college student finds herself in a predicament when she realizes she is pregnant with her professors child. Mark, her thirty something professor, married with children of his own wants nothing to do with Margo or the baby after he finds out she’s keeping the baby. Born to a single mom, Margo quickly realizes she’s going to have to raise this baby completely on her own. With childcare an issue Margo is let go from her job. Now she finds herself in a scenario where she needs to make money and fast. But where will she turn?
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This story was laugh out loud funny, sharp and well constructed. I was rooting for Margo the whole time. With her struggles as not only a single mother, but a young one too it became apparent how much mothers struggle with stereotypes and trying to make a place for themselves in the world as mothers. I loved the characters in this story and hated some, but doesn’t that make the most compelling reads? This one was unique, well researched and fun. One worth adding to your TBR. I loved it!

Rufi Thorpe's Margo's Got Money Troubles earns a solid four stars for its bold, laugh-out-loud narrative that masterfully intertwines the struggles of young adulthood, new motherhood, and financial instability in the digital age. Known for her critically acclaimed work, Thorpe delivers a heartwarming and humorous story that resonates deeply with anyone trying to navigate the precarious waters of growing up and finding one's place in an increasingly online world.

At the heart of this engaging tale is Margo Millet, a young woman whose resilience and resourcefulness are both inspiring and relatable. As the daughter of a Hooters waitress and an ex-pro wrestler, Margo's life has never been easy. Her journey from a junior college student to an unplanned single mother highlights the profound and often overlooked struggles many young women face today. Thorpe's portrayal of Margo’s relationship with her English professor, leading to her unexpected pregnancy, is handled with a mix of raw honesty and sensitivity, providing a nuanced look at the complexities of personal decisions and their lasting impacts.

The introduction of Jinx, Margo’s estranged father, adds a unique dynamic to the story. His arrival and the subsequent help with childcare offer Margo a lifeline, albeit an unconventional one. Thorpe’s use of Jinx’s wrestling background to help Margo navigate the world of OnlyFans is both inventive and amusing. The parallels drawn between wrestling personas and online personas underscore the performative nature of internet fame, making for a thought-provoking read.

Margo's venture into OnlyFans, initially born out of desperation, evolves into an unexpected success story. Thorpe does an excellent job of capturing the duality of online success—the empowerment and financial independence it can bring, juxtaposed against the potential pitfalls and ethical dilemmas. This narrative thread is both timely and relevant, providing readers with a candid look at the realities of internet fame.

Thorpe’s writing is blisteringly funny, filled with sharp insights and poignant moments that balance the humor. Margo’s internal monologues and interactions with her father and other characters are written with wit and authenticity, making her a thoroughly endearing protagonist. The novel’s exploration of storytelling, both in wrestling and online, serves as a powerful metaphor for controlling one's narrative and carving out a place in the world.

Despite its many strengths, the novel occasionally leans too heavily on its comedic elements, sometimes at the expense of deeper emotional exploration. However, this minor critique does little to detract from the overall enjoyment of the book.

Margo's Got Money Troubles is a tender and empowering portrait of a young woman’s journey to self-discovery and financial independence. Rufi Thorpe has crafted a story that is as entertaining as it is insightful, making it a must-read for anyone navigating the challenges of modern adulthood. This book is a delightful reminder that even in the face of adversity, humor, and resilience can lead to unexpected and rewarding paths.

Thank you Netgalley and William Morrow for access to this arc.

I just loved this messy, funny book. Single mom Margo has to figure out how to earn enough money to support her newborn while also fighting against the judgmental status quo.

I will admit there were times when I sighed and thought, “Oh, Margo …” but then she’s only twenty years old when the reality of motherhood smacks her upside her head. She can’t keep studying, she can’t keep her old waitressing job, welfare won’t pay her rent much less anything else. When her father arrives looking for a place to stay, his financial assistance as well as his rapport with his grandson are a godsend. But it’s while watching wrestling that Margo is launched in the direction of her new job.

How do you get started in OnlyFans? Margo is mystified but she’s also determined and reaches out with some smart ideas to people who could help her as well as themselves. Then Margo uses her writing skills to try and take her account to the next level. Meanwhile, Jinx – at first astonished and not totally pleased with what his daughter is doing – thinks about it and quickly changes his mind. Then he uses his business skills to help her set up her business (set aside 30% for taxes after filing to be a corporation) and his wrestling knowledge to help her decide how to craft her “character.” When a fan reaches out to Margo and they start an email relationship, is he lying as much to Margo as she feels she needs to in order to protect herself and Bodhi? Because some fans are psychos.

Then just as things are starting to fall into place, the shit hits the fan and Margo faces not only losing her baby and her online anonymity but also her father to his long standing drug problems. This is where I totally became a Margo fan. She stands for so many young people who are taken advantage of by those who are older and then tossed against the ropes of life in a world that seems rigged against them from the get-go. Margo is not going to go down without a fight.

At first Margo and her support team are dog paddling to stay above legal water. Is Margo’s job a good thing in that it keeps food on the table and supports her child or a bad thing because she’s showing (parts of) her naked body to whoever will pay? She needs a lawyer but will those fees end up cleaning her out even if Ward’s advice is sound? Should she give the answers she thinks the psychologist wants or her real ones? When she gets hit by a second investigation, is it Mark trying to ensure his custodial win or someone else who called CPS? Will Jinx need to stop the drug program that has the best chance of helping him for one with a far lower success rate?

All along Margo’s journey, we see her keep trying, keep fighting, and keep being a pretty darn good mother to her child whom she adores and loves more than her own life. Bodhi isn’t a plot moppet at all. He’s a sweet baby who pukes, grabs Margo’s hair, demands his feedings, and needs to be changed. When faced with everything mustered against her, Margo does what she feels is best and then, in a moment of inspiration, she figures out a plan to win the whole thing and then executes it like a thing of genius. I was feeling a better grade but then thought that Mark really is a putz and due to the fact that he took advantage of his young student, I wanted him to suffer more for his consequences. But Margo works things to her advantage and in the end, she and Bodhi are looking good and sitting pretty with maybe a possible relationship in Margo’s future. That this doesn’t proceed to even a HFN is … right yet also hopeful. I think Margo’s going to do just fine. B+

First thank you to William Morrow and NetGalley for an advanced readers copy in exchange for an honest review.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Synopsis: Margo’s life has been tough from the start. Her mom was a hooters witness and dad a professional wrestler who wasn’t around as a kid. When she becomes pregnant in her first year of junior college, she decides to keep the baby. Her life is challenged even more when her dad moves in but she figures out a creative way to support herself, her baby and her dad

What I liked: ok first of all I stayed up until 2 am reading this because I could not put it down. It was my first book by Rufi trope but will not be my last. I loved the contemporary story and topics that the author tackles in this book. She is not afraid to take on hard topics and show the nuances in these hard topics. She does it in such a loving non judgmental way that it makes you really think about how you would or have acted. Margo is such a great character because she is wise yet naive and tough and fragile. She is still young and learning but she knows her worth. Her dad jinx steals the show. He is a former pro wrestler/manager/drug addicted flawed man but he loves his daughter. Their relationship is so touching and infuriating. I wanted to hug and yell at him so often.

I highly recommend this book and know it is going to be on my. Top books of 2024 list.

⭐️5/5

Expectation vs Reality:

- Loved way more than expected
- More clever than expected
- Less fluffy than expected
- More emotional than expected

This book kind of blew me away. I went in expecting total fluff. All I knew was this book was about a girl who did OnlyFans to make money. But goodness gracious there was so much more to this book and I ate up every single word, every character, every family dynamic, every side storyline, every everything. I was all the way invested. I loved the way it was written and how it changed between first person and third person. Everything about this book was just so smart. I finished this book 15 minutes ago, and I already want to reread it!

It’s not often that I read a book (even books I love) and immediately go and add other books by the author to my TBR but that’s exactly what I’m doing here.

Thank you to the publisher, author, and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest rating and review.

Margo got pregnant after sleeping with her college professor and decided to keep the baby without thinking through what the full impact on her life would be. After getting fired from her job due to child care issues, she came up with an unconventional way to support herself. The story started out slowly and became more interesting and thought provoking as it went along. I would give it 3.5 stars.

What an absolute charmer of a novel! The characters, especially Margo and Jinx, jump off the page, and I love the way the story is told via point of view. It's sweet, edgy, unique, and I read it with a smile on my face. I'm so glad it's becoming a TV series as well, I could see it playing out before my eyes as I read. Will definitely be eagerly awaiting Rufi Thorpe's next one!

This book is about a 20 year old woman named Margo who has an affair with her college professor and has the child. She drops out of school and in order to pay her bills and rent she decides to start an OnlyFans account. She makes some pretty good money, then a few people in her life step in because they do not approve of what she is doing for a living. If you’re like me and don’t really know a whole lot about social media you will after this book is done!
I have gone back and forth about how to rate this book, and settled on a 4 star rating. I like Margo and I was rooting for her all the way. It was a quick read, but I may be thinking about it for a while!
Thank you Netgalley and William Morrow Publishing for the digital ARC.

A brilliant novel about the realities of adulting! The characters in this novel are extremely well developed and portrayed to the point where a visceral reaction was forthcoming depending on what the author intended. All of our insecurities, embarrassing little anecdotes and secret desires and heartbreaks are deftly narrated by the protagonist who feels, more than not, like she could be any of the readers since we all will relate to one (or maybe more than one) character on some level. A definite favorite of 2024!

After seeing rave reviews, I needed to pick up Margo! Admittedly, I wasn’t sure how I felt about the Only Fans premise, and as I was reading it, I found it turned me off a bit. To be clear, I am not anti-sex work. Sex work IS work. That said, I really tried to evaluate the story as a whole, I can see the hype. At its core, Margo is a touching story about the extremes a single mother goes to in order to provide for her son. I found myself walking away from the story feeling touched and really having a soft spot for Margo. Yes, this story is a bit absurd, but if you can get on board with the Only Fans piece, you’ll find that there is a lot of tenderness here too.

What a terrific read! Margot is 20- always remember that- and she's the new mom to Bohdi, the child of her relationship of sorts with her professor. And she's broke. Her horrible mother won't help, two of her room mates are moving out, and she's at her wits end when she discovers Only Fans and everything changes. And then her wrestling generally absent father Jinx shows up, having been thrown out of the house by his wife. Jinx is one of the best characters I've read in a while- Thorpe makes him feel very real. Things go well - she expands her business by working with two other women, TikTok, and her room mate Sarah, and then her ex sues for custody and CPS shows up. And that's when things get serious. This is emotional, it's funny, it's got terrific characters you'll root for, and it's a page turner. Thanks to the publisher for the ARC. This deserves all the praise it's gotten-it's great.

The novel was a quick, enticing read as it switches between first and third person about Margo Millet, a 20 year old that becomes pregnant due to an affair with her college professor and decides to keep her kid. She has a rocky start into motherhood after realizing how difficult it was to be a mother and also a provider at the same time. Margo ends up going into the field of sex work by starting an OnlyFans. Much of the story is based on how she works hard at trying to achieve success through her new career path but also fighting to defend her choice of occupation with family and friends. There's a lot of moral conflict throughout the story centered on this bit and as a reader, we follow along as Margo embraces her role as a mother and also as a sex worker. I was also touched by how her relationship with her ex-pro wrestler, Jinx, has developed and healed and overcoming the issues between her and her mother Shyanne. Both of her relationships with her parents acts as a parallel to her her relationship with Bodhi and to her own personal growth. By the end of the novel, I feel proud of Margo and how much she has grown after going through such a huge significant change in her life.

📚: Margo’s Got Money Troubles by Rufi Thorpe (@rufithorpe)
⭐️: 5/5

The gist: Margo’s 20 years old. Her college professor got her pregnant. Her mom is unsupportive. Her estranged former pro-wrestler dad just arrived on her doorstep needing a place to stay. She’s a new mom. And, oh right, she’s got money problems because her boss at her waitressing job fired her when she couldn’t find reliable childcare. She’s kind of hitting rock bottom, so what is there to do now? (Hint, not a spoiler since it’s in the synopsis: It’s OnlyFans.)

The good: This book’s synopsis feels unhinged. What I just wrote above feels unhinged. (How does a book tie in OnlyFans, professional wrestling, new motherhood, and finding oneself?!) But believe me when I say - this book is SO GOOD. It’s heartwarming. It’s heartbreaking. It’s smart. It’s feminist. It’s also absolutely hilarious. I loved this read!

The eh: Not necessarily an eh - it’s part of why I loved it - but this is a book where OnlyFans plays a central role. This read isn’t necessarily for everyone because while it’s not spicy, it is very explicit!

Also, not worthy of a star rating drop, but some of the narrative commentary that pops up gets a bit confusing (and doesn’t really serve a purpose, it feels).

Big huge thanks to @williammorrowbooks via @netgalley for the digital ARC in exchange for an honest review. Margo’s Got Money Troubles is out this upcoming Tuesday 6/11!

First off, I freaking love Margo. She’s smart, determines, a bit weird, and deeply caring.

Margo is bright young woman thrown off her track by a grown a double s man who gets all predatory on her. Basically she’s 19 he’s her very married English professor in his 30s. And when she gets pregnant he wants nothing to do with the baby or her.

In fact most people dip out on Margo. Her mom, most of her roommates, her boss. But one roommate, Suzie, and, shockingly, her dad who was absent for most of her life steps up big time.

Unfortunately her dad is also fighting his own demons and when he threatens ol professor with bodily harm, prof’s lawyer (and probably his mommy cause he’s totally an enormous, coddled mama’s boy) talks him into suing for custody.

This causes problems for Margo as she’s just found her footing earning money through social media and OnlyFans. And she’s terrified of losing her son.

The characters are well developed and mostly grow throughout the story. I also loved how Margo broke the 4th wall to address us readers in a way to know she’s telling this story and it’s her perspective even if told in third person.

Oh, Margo. Margo, Margo, Margo. Girl, I adore you, but your actions were very, very questionable. I wanted to pull my hair out, and scream at the top of my lungs! Based on the title, it’s obvious that Margo gets herself into a bit of a cash flow situation, and needs some financial help. How Margo decides to deal with these said money troubles had me raising my eyebrows until they disappeared from my face. Let’s just say that it’s not the route that I would’ve chosen in that situation, but hey, I applaud her for it! I went in completely blind with this book, and recommend that you do too. Just know that it’s pretty random, quirky, comical, and a little raunchy—but not overly so. It’s one of the most unique storylines that I’ve ever come across, so the author definitely gets some major bonus points for that. I especially loved the family dynamics, mostly the odd, yet totally sweet father-daughter relationship that warmed my heart. I can’t recommend the audiobook enough. It’s narrated by Elle Fanning, and she did an absolute fabulous job with it. I really can’t envision anyone else as Margo. Overall, this book is incredibly entertaining. I laughed, frowned, gasped, sighed, and shook my head so many times! Margo is a hoot! 4/5 stars for Margo’s Got Money Troubles! It’s out on June 11th!