I think there was a good idea in here. At least, the blurb led me to belief that this would be a different sort of story. Unfortunately, the alternating third and first person chapters utterly lost me. Keeping in mind that I read much farther than I would have because it was a NetGalley book and I try to do due diligence, I kept waiting for a twist to bring purpose to that alteration, but it never happened. I feel that a stronger editor might have pulled this one together better, but I'll look for the author's next effort.

4.5 stars rounded up. When I first read the synopsis of this story I thought it sounded cheesy and juvenile with the mention of WWE wrestling and OnlyFans. I am glad I gave it a chance because I was hooked after the first chapter. While the wrestling and OnlyFans are a part of the plot, it is really a story about motherhood, friendship and complicated family relationships. It is my favorite contemporary fiction novel I have read lately. My only complaint is that the author switches back and forth between first person and third person. The story explains the reasoning behind this style, but I found it jarring to switch perspective mid-chapter. I also found the ending to be rushed. I would definitely recommend this book for all those in the trenches and those looking for a story about family Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

This book was unlike anything else I’ve ever read and I think that’s a good thing. Margo is oddly such a relatable protagonist despite her unusual circumstances. The cast of characters in this book is A+ and it really made me think about everything that comes with having a child and what you’ll do to survive. This book made me laugh a lot, but it also made me get all in my. It comes out June 11 and I definitely recommend it.

If you’re old here, allow me to apologize for the umpteenth reminder that I am not a blurb reader. If you’re new here – I am not a blurb reader. I am addicted to a cartoony cover and a catchy title so that’s what hooked me here. I’m also always looking for the next "Bernadette" - or what I like to call the “Mom Com,” and from the title/cover art I thought maybe that’s what this would be. I probably would have skipped it over had I read it was about a very young and ill-prepared financially new mom who takes to Only Fans as a source of income with her fresh-out-of-rehab father as her roommate. That just sounds like A. LOT.

Turns out I sort of loved this one. I guess I’ll always be a fan of an underdog story. And while there were most DEFINITELY times I wanted to shake the shit out of Margo for being so naïve, the way the author broke the fourth wall and had Margo recognizing her errors in hindsight was a smart way to keep me invested.

Maybe venture out of your comfort zone and give this one a whirl in June.

ARC provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC! Weird and wonderful, there’s very little to compare Rufi‘s writing to. It took me a chapter or two to get the hang of the first person / third person switching, but it was such an interesting device and worked so well for the story. And the story! Margo’s a lovable weirdo who it’s impossible not to root for, even as you’re silently screaming at her to get it together or cheering her on. I’ll be thinking about this one for a while.

Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced copy of Margo's Got Money Troubles.

I think I can go so far as to say that this is the perfect book for our times. If you don't get offended by the language and uncomfortable situations that frequently occur, you will be in love with the story and Margo. But yes, definitely not for everyone. Rufi Thorpe's writing and characters are amazing, incredibly human, and entertaining.

Adulting is hard...

As a kid, we can't wait to grow up, with big doey eyes we look forward to our drivers license, first legal drink, getting married and having babies...

What we don't know is that all that, is accompanied by, car payments, hangovers, sharing the bed with someone who farts and sleepless nights.

I mean I guess its not all that bad, just look got Margo's life, it could be worse

Just kidding, I absolutely adored Margo and her hysterical banter.

Margo's Got Money Troubles, is laugh out loud funny. I instantly wanted to be friends with Margo, not just to be able to hug her and let her know it would all work out but because she kept going and hustled even when faced with challenges. She's one bad @ss mama!!

Check out this teaser :

“An audacious, wildly funny, completely unpredictable novel by a writer so singular that it’s hard to compare her to anyone else . . . absolutely brilliant.” —Kevin Wilson

A bold, laugh-out-loud funny, and heartwarming story about one young woman’s attempt to navigate adulthood, new motherhood, and her meager bank account in our increasingly online world—from the PEN/Faulkner finalist and critically acclaimed author of The Knockout Queen.

As the child of a Hooters waitress and an ex-pro wrestler, Margo Millet's always known she’d have to make it on her own. So she enrolls at her local junior college, even though she can’t imagine how she’ll ever make a living. She’s still figuring things out and never planned to have an affair with her English professor—and while the affair is brief, it isn’t brief enough to keep her from getting pregnant. Despite everyone’s advice, she decides to keep the baby, mostly out of naiveté and a yearning for something bigger.

Now, at twenty, Margo is alone with an infant, unemployed, and on the verge of eviction. She needs a cash infusion—fast. When her estranged father, Jinx, shows up on her doorstep and asks to move in with her, she agrees in exchange for help with childcare. Then Margo begins to form a plan: she’ll start an OnlyFans as an experiment, and soon finds herself adapting some of Jinx’s advice from the world of wrestling. Like how to craft a compelling character and make your audience fall in love with you. Before she knows it, she’s turned it into a runaway success. Could this be the answer to all of Margo’s problems, or does internet fame come with too high a price?

Blisteringly funny and filled with sharp insight, Margo’s Got Money Troubles is a tender tale starring an endearing young heroine who’s struggling to wrest money and power from a world that has little interest in giving it to her. It’s a playful and honest examination of the art of storytelling and controlling your own narrative, and an empowering portrait of coming into your own, both online and off.

I really enjoyed this one! Margo is a funny, observant, spunky character I really enjoyed following on her journey. She starts the book as a naive, insecure young girl and becomes a smart, capable woman with a strong sense of self along the way. While the characters are quirky and the subject matter can be challenging, I found the overall book very heartwarming and earnest. I also thought Thorpe did a great job covering young motherhood, sex work, and found family; she really challenges you to examine your preconceived notions and think about life from a different perspective. I would definitely recommend this one to contemporary fiction fans!

Thank you to NetGalley, William Morrow, and Rufi Thorpe for this advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review!

I am not one to exaggerate so when I say I want to give this book 1 million stars, I mean it with my whole heart. It is ingenious, irreverent, hilarious, and warm. I can’t wait to recommend it to everyone I know in the coming months. Margo is one of the most fully formed, endearing characters I have read in a long time. The societal commentary was exceptionally because it was happening without me, the reader, even realizing it was happening. It was funny. I loved every single moment. It has been a long time since a book has impressed me this much. I loved it so much.

This is the kind of book I search and search and hope for, that feels so effortless and unpretentious in its storytelling and yet builds characters I will remember forever with such humor and complexity, the real kind that happens at Arby’s and in beat-up purple Honda civics and in our worst moments, that doesn’t let us put people in boxes, that takes a story you know l, a girl giving birth when she is young and not ready for it, and turns it into so much more. SO MUCH MORE.
Margo is so amazing and complex, funny and empathetic, impulsive and creative and silly and so in love with her baby. She is truly, truly a twenty year old who had to figure out a lot, who is brilliantly smart, but who is still twenty. The narrative ways her later self can intervene are perfect and the reason to read fiction. The intersection of the worlds of onlyfans, an estranged pro-wrestling manager father, a mother who had Margo too young and is still in survival mode, the city of Fullerton, new motherhood, friendship, and a broken, unfair system they are all trying to exist in is funny and heartbreaking and so whole. You don’t finish this book without feeling the entire range of rage and humor, huge love, empathy, and I-guess-we’re-doing-this now from even one character in this book, it’s remarkable and addicting and I can’t wait for the world to read it, I want to start it all over again.

Fantastic! Really proud of this authors and how much time and effort they put into this book. I’m really impressed with the storyline and the tie in of different themes throughout the book.

This book was EVERYTHING. It was HILARIOUS. Truly laugh out loud funny.

A newly single mom, broke, turns to only fans for income while having her newly sober dad as a roomie. I loved reading about Margo. She was an underdog, struggling, and you want to shake her sometimes but she was just one of those characters you root for.

I didn’t get frustrated with Margo because she takes self inventory and it’s the best kind or comeback story.

If you’re looking for a heartwarming read that makes you laugh, smile, and root for someone, this is the book for you!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC!

Margot's Got Money Troubles, by Rufi Thorpe, was a quick read. I liked the characters, but the storyline was slow. I kept reading hoping for some kind of twist, but it never happened. This one was just ok. Thanks. NetGalley and the publisher, for providing me with the ARC that I read and reviewed. All opinions are my own.

I did finish this book, but it wasn’t easy. I admit I am probably not the key demographic for this novel.

The biggest criticism I have is that the alternation of third and first person perspectives just didn’t work for me. I got the point and that present day Margo was reflecting on younger Margo, but it only gave me a sense of distance. That distance led to a lack of an emotional response. The more distanced I felt, the more i out down the book.

I did get all the references. I was a wrestling fan when I was young - I know all the wrestlers mentioned. I know about Pokemon. I know who Goku and Vegeta are. Even that wasn’t enough.

It is not that I judge Margo for her actions. If anything she is enterprising. I don’t really care about OnlyFans. I get the Important Points being made.

It isn’t a badly written book, just not an interesting one. Not to mention, does it really make sense to release a book where one of the last lines is a positive endorsement of Vince McMahon,given the current allegations? Especially when the main character has a young child? If I was RH, I might oull this for awhile.

A coming-of-age novel about a broke teen mom plus OnlyFans, TikTok, and pro-wrestling? Sign me up.

This was my first Rufi Thorpe book and I’m now officially a fan. It was delightful, weird, quirky, funny, and heartfelt. I just loved Margo’s voice and being in her head.

This was such a unique coming-of-age story that tackles issues such as the struggles of young single motherhood, complicated family relationships, the stigma of online sexual work, and the power of social media. The characters are deeply flawed, yet I found myself actually worrying about and rooting for them (okay maybe not Margo’s mom—disliked her till the end 😂).

Originally rated this a 4.5, but now that a few weeks have passed, I’ve decided this was a 5⭐️ read as I still keep thinking about it.

Thank you to Netgalley and William Morrow for this ARC!

I received an advanced reader copy from Netgalley for Rufi Thorpe's latest novel, Margo's Got Money Troubles set for release June 11 2024.
This book follow Margo-- a young woman who finds herself pregnant with her former professor's child, living with her ex-pro wrestler father, and trying to navigate a seemingly hopeless financial situation. Margo is accidentally introduced to the world of OnlyFans in the midst of her struggle to stay afloat, and though this provides her with the financial stability that she so desperately needs, she is faced with the stigma of her career from all sides.
I immediately was invested in Margo and Bodhi from the get go. Rufi Thorpe created nuanced characters with lots of dimension and wit. None of the characters felt flat or without their own unique traits and characteristics. In the light-hearted tone of the book, there were moments of striking wisdom and clarity: it perfectly encapsulated the feeling of directionlessness of early adulthood with the added caveat of financial distress, mothering, and sex stigmas. I felt such empathy for Margo and for Jinx. This book covers a lot of ground, and doesn't seem to do it in a rush or without complexity.
I will say, the ending with JB was not my favorite: that was the only part of the story that felt a little rushed and ingenuine for me. I also HATED Shyanne's character (which was fully intended), and I was irritated that we never closed that off fully. There was a soft attempt towards the end to explore that a little more, but it left things open ended in a way that I believe was intentional but didn't feel satisfying to me.
Overall, I'd rate this book a 4.5 star. Highly recommend, and I will be reading more of Rufi Thorpe in the future!

What did I just read?! This was not good. Weird concept. Very basic writing. Was really hoping for a twist at the end, especially with the 3rd person, but nope. Nothing.

I so tried to get into this story but it just didn't hold my attention. I'm sure it's a delightful novel but just not for me. I thought it was just too unbelievable and I had no empathy for the character.

I enjoyed this quick read. I liked the characters. The middle was a little slow but still would recommend. Thank you NetGalley for this arc.

I was very excited to receive an advanced reader copy of Margo's Got Money Troubles, but I was very disappointed. I unfortunately could not finish reading it. There were no characters to like, including Margo herself. And nothing that made me want to stick around to find out how she gets herself out of her "money troubles."

The author changes the point of view often - sometimes in 1st person, and sometimes in 3rd person - within the same few pages. The story seemed disjointed, making it very hard to follow.

I really wanted to like this book. It is getting a lot of praise and the synopsis was really intriguing, but it was not a book for me.