Just okay for me. Had some laugh aloud parts, but I didn't really connect with the characters.
I received an ARC from netgalley in exchange for an honest review

Wow! This was a 5 star read for me. Margo was a tremendously compelling character and Thorpe's open-hearted exploration of touchy topics (sex work, addiction, etc) proved super satisfying for this reader. The story had a ton of heart and and I'll be thinking about these characters for a long time.

Margo’s Got Money Troubles was a fun, authentic, and vulnerable coming of age story that captured the complexity of our human experiences. The story is told from both a first and third person point of view which provides unique perspectives into Margo’s transformation from a timid college student into a mother who is confident, capable & ready to take on whatever life sends her way next. I found her relationship to her dad to be heartwarming & there were lots of funny moments to balance out the intense realities of her lived experience. I’d definitely recommend this one of a kind story!

Thank you to NetGalley for thue ARC!

This book was such a pleasant surprise - so fresh, creative and modern, as well as full of heart, propulsive and gripping. I'll never forget these characters. They were so wholly unique, drawn in great detail, complicated and realistic. I think it will be a huge hit this summer when it comes out. It was my first Rufi Thorpe book, but now I want to go back and read her backlist titles.

Thank you so much to NetGalley, the author, and William Morrow for the advanced eARC in exchange for my honest feedback. I'm excited to recommend this title to my bookstagram community.

I knew I was in for a treat with this book and devoured it in a day. Please tell me how a story about a vulnerable single mom launching a career out of desperation on OnlyFans can be so tender, funny, smart, and delightfully weird. I loved Margo and how she experienced motherhood. There is a lot going on but Thorpe holds it together well: the plot pacing, the genuine connections between characters, and the cultural commentary. She even snuck in a Roman Empire joke! Highly recommend, and worth being open-minded for a book about sex work.

A genuine thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow for letting me read this gem of a novel early.

this was incredibly good. i didn’t know what to expect reading this, but it was completely different than i could’ve imagined. all of the characters are deeply flawed and for this, that works. it’s real. the concept with margo being a young mom struggling and doing onlyfans (this is such a simplified version of the story) is something different that i haven’t read. there were hints of romance, but really i didn’t need that for this. it to me was a story about margo and bodhi. an almost coming of age story if you will.

This book went in a direction I wasn't expecting...and it worked! Margo could have easily gone the route of other young, naïve, protagonist that are hard to find empathy for but, instead, you follow her as she makes tough choices, works out her problems, and does what's right for herself. This is a unique read and I ended up enjoying it a lot more than I expected. I look forward to recommending it to others!

Margo’s Got Money Troubles unravels the complexities of a woman’s unconventional journey through motherhood, societal biases, and the unexpected bonds that emerge from adversity.

The narrative kicks off with Margo’s unexpected pregnancy after an affair with her professor. Undeterred, Margo chooses to keep her child, naming him Bodhi. As the plot unfolds, I got immersed in Margo’s tumultuous life, marked by the loss of her job, pushing her to navigate the challenging landscape of single parenthood.

A twist of fate leads Margo to reunite with her estranged father, Jinx, an ex pro-wrestler. Thorpe skillfully navigates the nuances of familial reconnection, capturing the heartwarming transformation as Margo and Jinx, through Bodhi, forge new bonds and bridge years of emotional neglect.

The recurring theme of the book is summarized by Margo’s mother’s wisdom, “beauty is like free money.” It serves as a thought-provoking anchor on societal expectations and the unconventional paths Margo chooses to secure a future for her child. Furthermore, the book boldly tackles the stigma surrounding sex work as Margo turns to OnlyFans for income. It offers a compelling commentary, challenging stereotypes and exposing the prejudices endured by individuals in this profession.

Despite the weighty themes, the book maintains an engaging quality, thanks to Thorpe’s infusion of lively dialogues. These interactions make it not only thought-provoking but also unputdownable. At its core, the heartwarming aspect of the story lies in the intricate relationships Margo cultivates with her parents and son. Thorpe masterfully captures the emotional nuances, portraying Margo’s struggles as a young mother confronting societal judgments and the constant fear of losing custody of Bodhi.

Overall, the narrative skillfully blends societal critique with heartfelt relationships. Thorpe’s storytelling makes you reflect on human resilience and the unconventional decisions people can make despite societal biases. JUST READ THIS BOOK.

I haven’t stopped thinking about this one since I finished it. Fun, funny, heartbreaking, and real it’s the true book that has it all. It’s unlike anything I’ve read in this genre yet somehow felt so comforting to read - even in the darkest moments. I can’t recommend it enough!

Many thanks to NetGalley and William Morrow for the e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was one of the most unique reads I've read so far this year. I felt like I was reading an episode of Shameless the entire time!

Margo is a 19 year old college student who is sleeping with her college professor, Mark. In 6 weeks, she is swept up in a whirlwind of lust and dating ultimately culminating in her becoming pregnant accidentally. Deciding to keep the baby, she now faces a huge financial hurdle and struggles with how to support her son, Bodhi. Mark is out of the picture, her former Hooters waitress mother wants nothing to do with raising another baby, her ex-pro wrestler father swoops in and out of her life at his leisure and just about every one of her friends has abandoned her. With little options left, she turns to creating an OnlyFans page and ends up changing her entire life not only by financially supporting her baby, but also by creating a family for him and finding the support she desperately needed through some of the most unlikely sources.

This book was a laugh out loud, heart warming, emotional rollercoaster. Margo fought to overcome her upbringing and better her life, she was resourceful in creating an income stream to support her son, and, despite the constant obstacles lobbed at her, she kept getting back up after each one tried to knock her down (just like Fiona and Lip in Shameless!) The many emotional twists and turns to this book had rooting hard for just about every character. This was another book that truly conveyed family isn't blood, it's the people that love and care for you.

Margo’s Got Money Troubles is the story of a young woman named Margo who becomes pregnant from an affair with her college professor. In desperate need for money to raise her child Margo begins a TikTok and OnlyFans account with the help from her WWE father and some OnlyFans friends. I received this ARC from NetGalley. I really liked Margo as a character. She was very likable as were most of the other characters. I felt the book was a bit too long and started to find myself getting bored of the plot. I also did not love the ending with JB, it seemed rushed and out of place. Overall though it was a fun read.

Try as I might, I just could not get into the characters. I appreciate the grittiness and realness of Margo’s character, especially the descriptions of her life when she first leaves the hospital with her baby. I found her mother to be exasperating and I just could not finish this one.

4.5stars

I really wasn’t sure what to expect when I picked this book up, but it was truly unputdownable! I felt so many emotions while reading it and it made me examine my own ideas and judgements about what is right/wrong and who is good/bad.

Margo’s Got Money Troubles will make you happy and laugh, but it will also make you angry, sad, and frustrated at times. The characters were flawed and complex and seeing them struggle was difficult, but it also made it so satisfying to see them rise and overcome. It took a bit to get used to the writing style (it switches between third and first person POV - the reasoning is explained in the book), but it worked for the story. There is a small romantic sub plot, but the focus of the story is Margo’s journey. I appreciated that even though she didn’t get it right all the time, she still never gave up. She pushed, fought, and hung on sometimes by her fingernails, but she kept going. The book doesn’t end with every plot thread tied up in a neat bow, but the possibility and hopefulness is there and I think that’s the point.

Note: I didn’t list all the content warnings below, so please take care when reading.
CW: parental infidelity, parental abandonment, drug addiction (on page relapse), gambling addiction, extramarital affair, financial instability and concerns, discussion/mentions of abortion

*I voluntarily read an advance review copy of this book*

This book was a delightful quirky surprise! I loved this story and how different it was from books I’ve read. This author was new to me and I can’t wait to read more of her work. Margo is terribly naive in the beginning but smart and creative and forced along a painful coming of age sort of journey. While there are very sad and challenging moments throughout the story, there is so much humor. So glad I picked this book up! Thank you to William Morrow and NetGalley for the ARC.

This is such a great book, I've never read anything quite like it. And while it wasn't quite as perfect as the author's last novel, it was close and I'm so glad I read it.

The story is about a woman who unexpectedly becomes pregnant from an affair with her professor and decides to keep the baby. Of course it's about Margo's journey as a woman and anew mother but it's also about family - both biological and found.

The professional wrestling references throughout the book are amazing. Thorpe paints an understadable portrait of addiction as well.

There were moments I laughed out loud and others where I almost cried. I learned a lot about what sex workers deal with and have more respect for them than before.

Highly recommend.

I picked up this book because of how highly anticipated it was. Already picked up by Apple TV with Elle Fanning signed on?? I was curious to read this book to say the least.

I don’t think it was what I was expecting, especially the plot.

Margo is a freshman in college when she gets pregnant by her English professor. She quickly finds herself at a rock bottom, with very few resources to take care of her child- enter OnlyFans.

Not going to lie, I didn’t know much about Only Fans, but I do now after reading this book!

Though I wasn’t a big fan of the OnlyFans element of this book, I do have to agree with other reviews of this book. Margo is a great character- readers will quickly become sympathetic of her situation, fall in love with her wit and humor, and be rooting for her throughout the book.

You might like this book more than I. It took me, like, forever to finish it & were it not a NetGalley read (thank you, NetGalley for the chance to read an ARC), I'm not sure I would have finished it. I kinda liked Margo.

This was my first Rufi Thorpe book and I was a little nervous going into it since I’m more of a thriller person. However, I was pleasantly surprised! I loved the characters and the newish plot line. I think it gave an interesting look at the lives of many people we don’t see (adult content creators) and the choices that have to be made. This would make a really compelling limited series. I’m looking forward to reading Thorpe’s backlist of books now!

Ok so you know when you read a book and it immediately becomes clear it's going to be an all-time favorite and how that's just like, the best feeling in the world? Well good news folks - Rufi Thorpe's MARGO'S GOT MONEY TROUBLES fits the bill for that unicorn of a novel.

I have been a fan of Thorpe's writing for a decade now, and it is clear she is just getting better and better. I ripped my way through this one in about 24 hours, having such a hard time putting it down because I was in love with the writing and the story of Margo, a 20 year old new mom who is feeling isolated, scared, and strapped for cash. The father of her baby was her English professor, and out of the picture as soon as the baby arrived. She has a strained relationship with her (terrible!) Mom, and a Dad who wasn't always around.

That is when Margo discovers the joy of OnlyFans, a way to make cash somewhat fast without having to leave the house. Her estranged father shows up around the same time, asking to crash, put as a wrestling promoter, also has some great tips on how to build her fanbase. As she enlists the help of her other roommate (who is hilariously also a LARP-er), she gains some traction and the plot soars.

I just adored Thorpe's characters. Margo, her Dad Jinx, and the whole world that is created is both hilarious, heartfelt, real, and moving. The plot has a fun catch with the OnlyFans of it all, but it deep down a coming of age novel that will make you cheer and cry along with the ups and downs of Margo's journey into motherhood. It's also about art and human connection on deeper levels that I would not have expected. I can't shout from the rooftops more about this fabulous book! Absolutely beautiful and incredible.

Rufi Thorpe is the best at taking unique, flawed characters and bringing them to life in way you can’t help but root for them. She pulls you into a world that is weird and wonderful and I couldn’t put this book down.