I don’t even know what to say, this is hands down my favorite book I’ve read this year.

Margo is an unforgettable protagonist—smart, resilient, hilarious, talented. I could live within her brain forever.

And I didn’t anticipate a funny book about OnlyFans and pro-wrestling to hit so hard: the ethics it explored, society and morality, sex work and infidelity and heroin addiction—all of it treated with incredible care and nuance. I loved the POV shifts from first to third, a choice that a less skilled author would’ve utterly butchered.

I’m writing this minutes after finishing the last page because I’m already eager to tell everyone I know about this book (and I’ve already started when I saw it was a Book of the Month selection for June). Just incredible. I’ll remember this story and Margo forever.

Margo’s Got Money Troubles tells the story of Margo, who needs to grow up fast after getting pregnant by her college professor. Margo decides to keep the baby and lands upon an unconventional way to make a living. The story switches back and forth between first and third person. I didn’t see the significance of when the viewpoint would change, so that was lost on me. However it did not detract from the story.

I enjoyed seeing Margo take charge of her life and showing her resilience. While I thought there were some very realistic moments especially regarding raising a baby, overall the story was a bit far fetched but not without charm. It was a quick, entertaining read and I will definitely continue to read Rufi Thorpe’s work.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author and HarperCollins for the opportunity to read and review this digital ARC.

Had a hard time getting into this one but I definitely didn’t read the description well enough and this wasn’t really a book I’d usually pick up. If you like single mom stories or a book with family issues discussed you’ll enjoy this

This is one of those books that you start sharing parts with even before you have finished reading it........and, sadly for my friend, before she can even buy the book! Somehow this ridiculously laugh out loud book is also very down to earth and logical. Better to feed your baby by doing sex-adjacent work than not feeding them at all. How can you disagree with that? The story starts off on the more surprising side, especially since this is my first book from this author. But after she's pulled you in with the wild antics and humor, the more thought provoking concepts start surfacing and the book gets a little more serious. Never does it lose that quirky humor, but this isn't a complete cotton candy fluff ball of a read. The only stumble I had was the constant shift between Margo narrating in the first person and Margo narrating in the third person. I eventually got used to it, but the first few times it took me out of the experience. By the end of the book it felt like it made sense, though please don't ask me to explain why.

This is an indie movie in a book, an ode to someone down on their luck and how they get back on their feet. I can actually see this playing so much better as a script and on the screen than on the page. I can totally get along with a reemergence and reinvention arc, if most of her problems weren't of her own making due to not so great decisions. I find it hard to feel bad for people who make terrible decisions, think maybe I have a very low tolerance and empathy for dumb decisions and really do not feel like making fun of them so these types of books put me in a really awkward emotional position. There are also some very problematic interactions. The whole parental relationships are a lot, and I actually found more that supportive, her fathers help a tad creepy. I did leave this with a full knowledge of how Only fans works that I had no idea, but I was still very turned off by Margo.

This is maybe one of the most unique books I've ever read. It switches from first person to third person, the main character is extremely quirky and the while plot-wise nothing all that crazy happens, I was sucked in and intrigued to see where the story went. When I got to the end of the book, I wanted to keep reading, seeing where Margo ends up and what happens next.

In general, this is a fun, heartwarming novel. There are unexpected humorous moments, as well as points that really cause the reader to think. It was a nice balance. The story may have readers questioning what they view as right and wrong. Characters were authentic, making them easy to root for along the way.

This book was quite a ride. I didn't know what to expect, but what I got from the book was more. More what, you're wondering. I don't even know.

The thought that sex work is legal and can make you lots of money is a little foreign to me. I haven't put a lot of thought into it in my life so reading this book was eye-opening.

Margot might've been young when the book started but she'd matured a lot by the end. The lengths she was willing to go to keep and protect Bodhi were amazing, and touching. She made mistakes along the way but she always kept him as her reason why.

I would recommend this book.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

This was such a weird, clever story. It’s written in alternating first/third person which actually is very cool and really helps you realize the different feelings you have while reading from different perspectives.
I kept seeing this described as “funny” but I don’t really agree with that. There’s definitely a dark humor to it all but I would say that “witty” is a better descriptor. I was honestly stressing on the main character’s behalf for the majority of the book so not sure where everyone was finding all this humor (absurdity, yes, but not funny haha).

I really liked this, though. The characters and premise were unique and this is full of commentary on society’s mixed messaging around women and sex work, single mothers, abortions, and whether a consensual relationship with a power imbalance is ever really consensual.

Read this and root for the incredibly likeable Margo on her journey as a 19 year old single mother.

4.5 out of 5 (rounded down).

I really enjoyed this! After going off of a Bookstagram recommendation / review I requested an eARC and, lo and behold, had a great time! MGMT is humorous and real in a very uncomfortable way.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own

I thought this book would be laugh out loud funny and I was somewhat wrong. I say somewhat because I did LOL quite hard at some parts. But many parts broke my heart. Margo wasn’t my favorite character in the beginning. I felt that she made many unwise, naive decisions but I think that was the author’s point. None of us make wise decisions all the time. Especially when we’re ages 18-22. In a television show I heard something I will never forget. In an argument a character shouts “ You didn’t make good choices. You had good choices.” The best way I can sum up this book is what happens when you don’t have anyone to help you with those good choices? What happens when almost everyone who should help you doesn’t? By the end of the novel, I was extremely proud of Margo and all the hard choices she had to make by the end.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Margo’s got money troubles
This was a surprise to me – I wasn’t quite expecting what I got.

Margo finds herself at 20, with a newborn son after an affair with her professor. She learns fast that working and paying rent are not going to be easy. When her previously estranged ex-wrestler father moves in, fighting his drug addiction, and in the process of leaving the family that Margo was never part of, Margo has a lot to deal with.

Witty, though not laugh out loud funny for me, heartwarming, and definitely different, we follow Margo as she turns to OnlyFans and TikTok to pay her bills. We watch as she is judged for her choices, as she makes the best of a bad situation. I was really routing for her, especially when someone told the authorities she was an unfit mother, even though she was so naïve.

I read that there will a TV series and I’m sure it will be a big hit. I can definitely see this translating well to the screen.

I wasn't expecting to love this novel as much as I did, but I'm so glad I read it. The characters felt so real - I didn't want the story to end.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the free e-copy.

4.5 stars rounded up

Margo's Got Money Troubles is just about perfect as a novel, with a unique storyline, great (beyond great, actually) characters, humor, heartbreak, and a story that shows immense growth in both the relationships and the confidence of the MC. I love a good strong female main character, and through her personal and professional challenges, Margo becomes a very strong woman over the course of the story.

Margo is an exceptional character, and we get to see her growth on so many levels. I loved how her relationship with Jinx evolved, as well as that with Shyanne and with JB. I also loved seeing her grow more confident as a mother, in a very realistic portrayal of the challenges of new motherhood and being a single mom. While I didn't 'laugh out loud' or cry, this book has heart, and made me feel a lot of emotions. It also gave my empathy a workout, with Jinx's addiction, Mark's actions, and the Only Fans work being portrayed in such a way that the reader can understand and empathize with the decisions made.

Although I kind of get the purpose of the occasional perspective shifts in the telling of the story, I wasn't fond of them and I expected to get more clarity through them by the end. I'm not sure that happened, but overall, it was not a deal breaker on my love of this book.

Thank you to Netgalley and William Morrow for the digital ARC of Margo's Got Money Troubles by Rufi Thorpe. The opinions in this review are my own.

Margo got knocked up by her professor and is determined to keep the baby, if only because she wants to make her own decision. Her somewhat estranged, former pro-wrestler father reappears and offers to help her. She gets a job as a web cam girl on the website Only Fans. She is new to this kind of social media and promotion and has to learn fast in order to support herself and the baby. Along the way, she finds out more about herself and her family members, as well as who is a true friend.

This is a strange book and will NOT be for everyone. However, I found it fascinating. I knew nothing about this world so what all Margo has to do was so interesting and surprising. I was rooting for her to make it on her own and loved that the author made her an unconventional, yet successful, young mother. The characters are so well drawn, and I just couldn't get enough of this unique and somewhat quirky story. Again, this will not be for some people, but if you want something different and memorable, try this one.

Thank you to Netgalley for the advance copy for review.

MARGO’S GOT MONEY TROUBLES
Rufi Thorpe

How hard could it be?

MARGO’S GOT MONEY TROUBLES. She just ended an affair with her professor, dropped out of school, and she finds out she’s going to be short a roommate soon and she'll have to cover their part of the rent.

With more rent due and running out of options, Margo decides to open an ONLYFANS account. She has no idea what she's going to do on it but she thinks it's the key to her current set of problems.

What she couldn't have known was how many other problems would arise given her hasty decision.

This was funny. I laughed out loud several times reading MARGO. The set of characters is fantastic. They are so basic that it's imaginative. The honesty and tartness are refreshing.

The writing is perfect and the pacing is spot on. I had a lot of fun reading it and I think you will too.

Thanks to Netgalley and William Morrow for the advanced copy!

MARGO’S GOT MONEY TROUBLES...⭐⭐⭐⭐

Pros: I first heard about this book on the Bad of Paper Podcast and have heard other book podcasts rave about the author’s previous book. After reading this book I can see why. Throughout this book the author treats the often taboo subjects of sex work and addiction with nuance, respect, and thoughtfulness. I found myself cheering for the main character even when I thought she made dumb decisions. There was a lot of heart in this book, and I especially enjoyed the many types of found families throughout. I also thought the author’s use of first and third person to be an interesting and affective way to tell this story.

Cons: This really isn’t a con but more a note to readers that the topics and nsfw language will not be for everyone.

Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow for the opportunity to read this book.

I fell in love with Rufi Thorpe after 2020’s The Knockout Queen and Margo’s Got Money Trouble has been at the top of my most anticipated reads list since it was announced. Usually, those kinds of high expectations are a recipe for disappointment, but Thrope does not miss. This is another five-star read.

Margo is a 19-year-old college student turned young mother who quickly learns how inhospitable the world is to anyone on the fringes of society. She turns to OnlyFans as a way to make money and work from home and finds her estranged former pro-wrestling father is uniquely equipped to help her market herself.

The story and these characters are singular, yet the themes are universal. It is laugh-out-loud funny, insightful, thought-provoking, unpredictable and sad. Sometimes all within one paragraph.

𝑀𝑒𝓂𝑜𝓇𝒾𝒶𝓁 𝒟𝒶𝓎 𝒲𝑒𝑒𝓀𝑒𝓃𝒹 𝑅𝑒𝒶𝒹𝒾𝓃𝑔 𝑀𝒶𝓇𝒶𝓉𝒽𝑜𝓃

𝙈𝙖𝙧𝙜𝙤’𝙨 𝙂𝙤𝙩 𝙈𝙤𝙣𝙚𝙮 𝙏𝙧𝙤𝙪𝙗𝙡𝙚𝙨
by Rufi Thorpe
Preorder now!
Will be released June 11, 2024

Thank you Rufi Thorpe, @williammorrowbooks & @netgalley for this ARC.

AppleTV+ outbid several other streamers to bring this outstanding story to the screen and it is going straight to a possible 8 part series. I am hoping it will enchant enough viewers to be a multi-season series starring Elle Fanning and Nicole.

This gem of a contemporary women’s fiction novel was a great read, and it was a 5 star book for me.

Read this if you enjoy
🧑‍🧑‍🧒‍🧒 family dramas
💗found family
🍿 pop culture
🤼 WWE
👩‍🍼appreciate the reality of a single mom story
😅enjoy a heartwarming and hilarious character driven story
💗love a female forward protagonist to root for

One of my favorite elements of this story was that it featured multiple generations of single motherhood, and compared how these women faced life on their own raising their children - Margo and her mother Shyanne both are single mothers. I think it was important to show this contrast, and how it affected Margo’s experience. Please read it so we can talk.

I loved this- it was one of those books that was perfect for me, and I hope to see it read in book clubs and everywhere else- put it on your summer reading list. Read it before you watch it!

I’m not sure who I would cast as Jinx, but there are several WWE stars who are also actors- will be fun to see who they pick!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
#arcreader #newbooks #bookstoscreen #contemporaryfiction #womensfiction #humorousfiction #currentlyreading #amreading #bookrecommendations #bookreviews #bookstagram

Margo becomes pregnant after an affair her English professor and keeps the baby, but she’s finding raising a child is as hard as everyone told her it would be. When her estranged father, a retired pro-wrestler, comes back into her, she uses his career tips to start an OnlyFans.

I loved Knockout Queen and I loved this one even more. Thorpe has a way of writing characters that you can connect deeply with, even if you have nothing in common with them. I loved Margo and watching her come into her own. Parts swapped perspective, and it was cleverly done. There’s an interesting undertone of narration, and some quips included about it. Overall I loved how it showed how unexpected life can be, and how we can find stability and happiness in unexpected places.

“It’s the biggest love you’ll ever experience. And it will change everything about you. At times you will think your whole life is ruined, but you know, like, you wouldn’t change any of it.”

Margo’s Got Money Troubles comes out 6/11.