Thank you to William Morrow and NetGalley for the ARC of Margo's Got Money Troubles in exchange for an honest and independent review.

Rufi Thorpe has quite honestly put together one of the most rag tag, yet lovable, group of characters that I've seen in quite some time in her most recent work, Margo's Got Money Troubles. You are immediately introduced to Margo, a college student currently entwined in an relationship with her married college English professor (Mark). Although she see's nothing long term with him, he builds her self esteem and the sex is decent. Fast forward a couple of weeks, and Margo finds herself 8 weeks pregnant and perpetually lost as everyone around her urges her to have an abortion, insisting she she will wreck her entire life if she doesn't. Spoiler: she doesn't listen, because Margo is the type who paves her own path.

After the birth of her son, Margo finds herself jobless, without any support from her mother or Mark, and facing eviction as a new mother. It's at that moment, Margo's long lost, and primarily absent, professional wrestler of a father, Jinx, shows up on her front step, suitcase in hand and ready to save the day. Facing a divorce and serious substance abuse issues, he asks Margo for a place to stay while he gets back on his feet. In turn, he'll help her with rent and the baby, as well as some savvy business advice.

Margo takes him up on his offer, hoping to finally reconnect with her long lost father. During this time, they forge quite a relationship and Margo learns some interesting ways of the world. She also learns what if feels like to receive unconditional love and help from someone for a change. Still hard up for cash and making rent, Margo learns about OnlyFans from Jinx, and she decides to start her own page. She dives into research on what it takes to gain followers and cash flow by advertising herself and promoting herself along side some other interesting OnlyFans characters.

Everything comes crashing down with Margo learns that Mark has changed his mind and is wanting to pursue full custody of their son, feeling that Margo's lifestyle makes her unfit to be a mother. On top of that, CPS also receives an anonymous tip to investigate her life and care of her son. Jinx helps her to navigate this time and teaches her to stand on her own two feet and fight for what's hers.

Everything about this book is a beautiful dichotomy. It's heart wrenching and joyful, there's uncontrolled laughter and so many tears, learning to fail and then succeed like a boss, and to love with everything you have and to fear losing it the next second. There is more raw emotion packed within these few hundred pages than most books even begin to brush the surface of. I was so moved by Margo's inner thoughts and dialogue. She's honestly just a badass. Point blank.

The only thing I ask for in the case of this book is simply MORE. The ending was so abrupt. I selfishly wanted to see her just take on the world and watch her win and win again and kick major ass along the way. I wish all of the beautiful things for Margo, and I know you will too once finishing this one. Do not pass this one up!

I was totally BLOWN AWAY by this book, wow! It was delightful, hysterical, creative, and just so so smart. It had me hooked from the start and was a page-tuner, with the plot and characters both being extremely compelling. I was so sad to say goodbye to Margo & co at the end!

This actually reminded me a lot of the movie Easy A…and I adore that movie, so this is high praise. Both share a similar quirky tone, have a sharp, wise-beyond-her-years protagonist, and are an examination of storytelling, judgment, and sex/sex work. Truly cannot recommend this book enough!!!

Oooo I loved this!! So well written and funny. The characters are amazing and the plot is so interesting. Definitely recommend!

Thank you NetGalley and Rufi Thorpe!

The very beginning of this book, like the very first sentence had me. "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."

The characters are equally lovable and unlovable. You have wrestling, OnlyFans, teachers sleeping with students, mothers not mothering, people wanting to be loved and seen, and cosplay. I love you, Hungry Ghost. The next part is going to definitely have spoilers.

Margo has a baby after she's been sleeping with her married professor for a handful of weeks. She decides to keep the baby and you follow along the journey. Turns out Mark is the worst but does kind of have some redemption in the end. But he really is an immoral weirdo.
"Margo felt instantly terrible that Mark was so short. She hadn't even chosen a big, strong dummy to procreate with; instead, she'd mated with a small, immoral weirdo."

Her dad comes back into the picture full time and straight from rehab. He is a retired professional wrestler/personality named Jinx. You want him to succeed. Margo is so supportive of her dad but also naïve when it comes to addiction/recovery. I love their relationship.
"Have you ever heard of a game called Fortnite? I asked him. He began doing a dance where he swung his arms in front and then behind his body in a confusing way. Who hasn't? He said." "You named your tree? Yes, Jinx said, I have named my tree Earnest."

I have mixed feelings about her mom. There were some beautiful parts between her mom and Margo though. "You ruined my life so pretty, Noodle."

The one thing that I didn't like is the way Margo and JB met. Stranger danger is the first thing that comes to mind. I just wish they would have come to be differently.

Anyway, I loved this book. I haven't stopped thinking about it. The way Margo loves her baby.
"Bodhi, meanwhile, was now three months old and mysteriously getting cuter and cuter."

So many important topics were addressed as well. Choices, addiction, Medication Assisted Treatment, the lack of resources, how expensive childcare is, the way society views and treats cam girls/any form of sex work and more. "You can't tell me that if it was men and a medical decision would result in their penis splitting open and them not being able to hold their pee for the rest of their life, they wouldn't think that should be their own decision."
"And I didn't understand how not set up the world is for women to have babies. The whole childcare system is unworkable. Like it ruins your life. You can't choose that for someone else. You shouldn't be able to make someone do that."

Actually, the last line has kept me up at night and I've been obsessing over the meaning.
"Because that's all art is, in the end. One person trying to get another person they have never met to fall in love with them." All I know for sure is I do love these characters, so maybe that means I love Rufi Thorpe too.

I reviewed this book on Goodreads as well.

Rufi Thorpe’s “Margo’s Got Money Troubles” is zany, hysterical, irreverent, thought provoking, and endearing. There’s some heavy subject matter in this book, teen pregnancy, sex work, women’s reproductive rights, power dynamics, poverty, religion…and while these characters are slightly satirized, they feel wholly familiar. Given the subject matter, this novel may be polarizing and will be perfect for lively book club discussions.

Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest opinions.

Gosh…I really loved this book. I’d read The Knockout Queen previously and enjoyed that one, so I jumped at the opportunity to read this. Margo finds herself pregnant after an affair with her college professor. He has no interest in being involved and Margo is left to figure things out mostly on her own. Her father, who is an ex-wrestler and struggling addict soon moves in. Eventually, she starts an OnlyFans account to provide for herself and her baby. It’s…a lot. But I truly loved it. Jinx, while majorly flawed, stole my heart…he was my favorite part of the story. Thank you to NetGalley for the arc!!

I had never heard of Rufi Thorpe before reading this book but wow, I was so impressed. I laughed aloud so many times even pausing to read some sections to my husband. I've also now gone and ordered other Rufi Thorpe novels! Will highly recommend this!!

This was a delightful weird and wonderful book.

The first third of the book, I was hung up on the third person writing style but quickly found it endearing. A wonderful fast paced story with so many twists and turns, you won’t be able to put it down or put Margot out of your mind.

Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow for an ARC of Margot’s Got Money Troubles out June 11, 2024 in exchange for an honest review

"Margo's Got Money Trouble" is a really fun read that captivates with its engaging characters and intricate relationships. The charm of the story lies in the portrayal of Margo and her motley crew, making them relatable and endearing.

The pacing of the book ensures a fast and entertaining read, making it difficult to put down. The author's ability to balance humor and emotion adds a deeper layer to this really entertaining story.

A new favorite book! I I really enjoyed the character-driven story and unexpected issues that came up. I appreciated reading from the perspective of an OnlyFans creator since I haven’t thought much about it. The book handles sensitive topics thoughtfully

Margo’s Got Money Troubles

“We were all moving through the world like that, like those river dolphins that look pink only because they’re covered in scars.”

Thankyou @netgalley and @harpercollins for the ARC. Margo’s Got Money Troubles (MGMT) swells with emotion as we watch teen mother, Margo, wrestle with life after the birth of her son, Bhodi. We quickly learn that Margo was perused by her college English professor.

After entering an affair, she became pregnant, and he cut ties—not wanting his wife and kids to find out.

Her mother was a single mom and is trying to reinvent herself by marrying a religious man. Her self preservation of her new “pure” identity overshadows her desire to help Margo. Her dad is a retired WWE wrestler and manager that is VERY well known. But, that career leaves his body broken and with a struggling on/off again opiate addiction.

Margo is fired from her waitressing job. She just can’t get consistent child care. Desperate, she starts an OnlyFans account that is super nerdy on the seo, copywriting, and monetization aspects of the business. Quickly, she begins to make a stable income, pay quarterly taxes, and begin to save.

When her high school classmates begin to expose her online persona and Bhodi’s father begins to petition courts for full custody, we experience a nuanced and complicated view of sex work, addiction, family dynamics, and tested loyalties. At the heart, we see a 19 year old in a really rough spot fight like hell for the love of her child and grow into a fierce businesswoman.

MGMT was an absolute delight of a book. It says big things, but with a professional wrestling and OnlyFans backdrop, it’s an addictively compelling and sometimes absurd story. MGMT debuts on June 11. Make sure to add the one to your summer TBR!!

I received a free e-arc of this book through Netgalley.
This book is kinda wild, but also seems plausible in that it could happen because I'm sure we've seen crazier storylines on Jerry Springer. Margo gets knocked up during a 6-week relationship with her college professor. She decides to keep the baby and then her mostly absent father who was a pro-WWE wrestler comes to live with her and her roommate Suzie. Her relationship with her father improves, gets worse with her mother who is pretending to be on the straight and narrow while hiding drinking and gambling. Her father is a great grandpa until he relapses and starts using heroin again. Then Child Protective Services steps in. Oh yeah, and Margo started an OnlyFans account to support herself and her baby during all this so that is a whole 'nother adventure in this wild ride. Check it out!

Margo is in a predicament, got knocked up by her professor who wants nothing to do with her, has no support from her mom and a ex pro wrestler dad who sometimes is there for her but most times is not.

What is a girl to do to get money to tackle a new baby and losing her job…. Only fans.

I thought I would not like Jinx since ex wrestler and off and on father of Margot but he grew on me.
Susie the cosplaying best friend made me laugh quite a few times
At around 70% the paragraph started with Reader. That took me out the story and out loud said … what?!?!

I enjoyed the story and seeing how Margo gets through this part of her life but the back and forth of point of view is really annoying.

Huge thanks to NetGalley, Harper Collin’s Publishing and Rufi Thorpe for a eARC in exchange for my honest review.

Margo has ‘money problems. At age nineteen, she finds herself pregnant by a professor she had an affair with who was married with his own two children.
….Bye- bye-Professor…
….Bye-bye-college …
….Hello baby Bodhi …
….Bye-bye roommates (they couldn’t stand the crying noise during the night). The roommates had exams to take early mornings…
….Hello ‘Daddy’ …. (an ex-addict, ex-pro wrestler). Daddy, Jinx, helps Margo set up an ‘Only Fans’ account as a way to help Margo figure out ways to solve her financial problems.

Rufi Thorpe creates fascinating characters, and thought-provoking trial and tribulations situations. . . keeping the humor going …. (some very funny scenes) …. all the while zapping us with profound wisdom.

Margo’s mother, Shyanne, is a character to reckon with — she has her thoughts, beliefs, opinions, judgements…. and has no qualms about expressing them.

I totally enjoy Rufi Thorpe’s books.
I’ve read:
“The Knockout Queen”
“The Girls From Corona Adel Mar”
“Dear Fang, With Love”

Each book is better than the next. Each one becomes my new favorite in the moment.
Rubi’s human-universal themes move me…..and she’s a very intelligent skillful author. SHE KNOWS WHAT SHE IS DOING….and it shows!!

Her keen insight into the lives of young women — of people — are spot on.

I refuse to give any spoilers away — it’s a gem!! Raw, real, sooo enjoyable!!!

5 easy star rating!!!
Read all of Rufi Thorpe’s books!!

This book was an absolute train wreck (in a good way?) and I couldn’t look away. Rufi Thorpe is one of my favorite writers. She writes relationships and dialog between teens and adults better than any other author I’ve read. She so perfectly captures the delusion of being young and naive in a frustratingly real and hilarious way.

This is a quirky, coming-of-age story with flawed characters and an outlandishly original storyline. It’s not for everyone, but I personally enjoyed most of it and couldn’t put it down.

I was influenced by a BookToker to read this book, and I think if I had actually spent more time reading the blurb about it I may have reconsidered.. I mean, OnlyFans and TikTok and WWE??- it sounds off the wall and weird and it WAS off the wall and weird but in a delightful way. I have truly never read anything like it.

Margo is a 19 year old junior college student who gets knocked up by her kinda skeevy married older college professor. Struggling to make ends meet and confronted with being unable to provide for her new baby, she takes to creating content on OnlyFans. She is supported in these efforts by her previously absent father, Jinx, who is an ex-WWE wrestler and heroin addict.

This book found a small tender button I didn't know I had and kept pushing it. Reading the premise, you may think it will be light and ridiculous, and at times it absolutely was, but it also wove in an insightful commentary on the judgments we make as humans and how freakin' impossible it is to be a woman and mother. I also love LOVED these characters- they stressed me out, they made me roll my eyes, they disgusted and disappointed me, and I loved them anyway. I am so glad I found this book. Rufi Thorpe has a new fan.

Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow for sending me an ARC of this wonderful book.

This book was delightfully ridiculous, and I was a little surprised at how much I actually loved every bit of it! With well-developed characters that you can’t help but fall in love with and a completely addicting writing style, I can definitely see this one appealing to a large audience, as it seems to bring a little something for every type of reader.

In terms of a quick plot summary of this coming-of-age story, stick with me here: the narrative follows Margo, a twenty-year-old who becomes pregnant after a brief affair with her community college English professor. She's determined to keep the baby and make an independent life for herself, but like many 20-year-olds trying to make it on their own, she ends up struggling - she has an infant, lives in an apartment with roommates, and gets fired from her job. But eventually Margo comes to realize the money-making potential in becoming a content creator on OnlyFans (sort of a pornography-adjacent social media type site, so take that as you will - while there are certainly body parts mentioned, the prose isn’t overly crude), and in comes her ex-pro wrestler father to help, and the shenanigans ensue from there.

Despite a premise that may sound a bit bonkers, it was an incredibly endearing, heartfelt and human story. The whole novel was so compulsively readable in how it was written, and I think that part of that had to do with the unique way that the author alternated the narration between first person and third person from time to time. Overall, the prose was darn funny and kept me completely entertained, but at the same time had such well-drawn characters, especially in Margo and her father Jinx, that made me fall hard for them from start to finish. It was truly a delight to watch Margo grow and develop through the pages in a mature way.

I was initially drawn to this book because it was blurbed by Kevin Wilson and I absolutely love all of his work - although it wasn’t quite the same off-beat type of quirky that he brings to his stories, it was uniquely quirky and funny in its own way, and I think any fans of Kevin Wilson will also love this one. With a perfect balance of hilarity and life lessons, I feel like this book will be a crowd-pleaser this summer. Such a fun gem of a read, and I'll definitely be exploring the author's backlist!

Thank you so much to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

In this hilariously funny novel, Margo is nineteen years old when she has a brief fling with her married English professor and finds herself pregnant. She’s under no illusions that he’s a good guy who’ll help financially—if she goes through with the pregnancy, she’s on her own. As the daughter of a Hooter’s waitress and a pro-wrestling, absent father, she’s always been on her own. She’s smart but didn’t have the money to go to a good college. When people say that she’s going to ruin her life, she thinks she means that she won’t be able to continue at community college. She doesn’t understand the financial impact, and that more affordable daycare happens during the day, not the shifts she works at a bar at night.

She gets fired from her job, her roommates can’t study with a baby screaming half the night and leave. Scrambling for cash, she experiments with OnlyFans. When her father comes to stay with her, he can help with rent and childcare, and he uses his knowledge of professional wrestling to help her build a fan base on OnlyFans and TikTok.

The author touches on some challenging subjects with understanding and humor. I enjoyed this.

This was one of the most creative realistic fiction books I’ve ever read. I’d love to know how Thorpe came up with this plot line. It was a very refreshing and understandable view of Only Fans and related information. It seemed like a realistic representation of making money on the app. Margo built basically a business out of this endeavor, including strategic planning and marketing. Margo is hilarious and much of the story brings laughter while not shying away from serious topics. It will bring joy to many fans.

I just finished Margo's Got Money Troubles by Rufi Thorpe and felt that this novel was all over the place. I found the changes in narrative voice confusing and the premise that Margo got pregnant by her college professor glossed over to be concerning, as well as the best option that she could find for work was to be a sex worker? I felt she was uncomfortable with her choices, with her relationship with her mother (and even with her father) and her living situation. The best part of the book was the penis descriptions using Pokemon characters! This book had a few funny moments, but just wasn't for me. Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for an ARC of this novel in exchange for my honest review.