I enjoyed this darkly comic, coming of age, family drama. The author’s writing style feels raw, honest, and unique. Margo, the lead character, is a train wreck that you can’t help rooting for. She is a naive 19-year old who has a brief affair with her college professor and becomes pregnant. Against the advice of her friends and unsupportive mother, she keeps the baby. To make ends meet, she joins OnlyFans, and with the help of her professional wrestling father, quickly goes viral. The book is funny at times and also makes you cringe when reading about Margo’s immature and often poor decisions. It is ultimately heartwarming and will give book clubs plenty to talk about. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
Coming June 11, 2024

Thank you to @NetGalley and @williammorrowbooks for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

Rufi Thorpe is a genius. I read The Knockout Queen a couple of years ago and have never stopped thinking about it, and I already know it's going to be the same with Margo. There is an element to her stories that are absurd and outlandish, and if any other author tried to do it it would be too much, but Thorpe is somehow able to convince me to suspend my disbelief and go along for the ride. On the way, she inevitably breaks my heart with her piercing insight into what it means to be human. Give me anything she writes and I will love it!

This book was just okay. It was hard to connect with the characters. I liked Jinx the best. Margo was sort of insufferable, as was Shyanne.

Thank you to NetGalley and the editor for an ARC in return for a fair and honest review.

Margo def has money troubles. She's a teen mom who was knocked up by her married English professor. He wants nothing to do with the baby, going so far as to have her sign an NDA about the baby's birth. She can't keep her waitressing job because she has no one reliable to watch the baby at night. She needs money and she needs it fast. So she turns to OnlyFans, a website dedicated to women and their followers who are willing to pay a monthly fee to see what's usually kept private. How will all this effect her as a single mother?

This book was one of the most original novels I've ever read. The entire premise had me hooked from the beginning and Thorpe's zany characters made it hard to put down. A father who's a professional wrestler and heroin addict. A gambling-addicted mom who wants to marry a uber-zealous Christian. Don't miss this one. I predict it's going to be one of the year's big sellers.

Margo’s Got Money Problems is going to be on a lot of best of 2024 lists. This book is the kind of book that you don’t even get a clue of how funny, poignant, and original it is from reading the publisher’s blurb.
This book tells the story of Margo, a 19 year old, who gets pregnant after a brief affair with a married professor. She decides to keep the baby and figuring out how she is going to support herself and her child is the meat of this story. The way this book navigates her relationship with both of her parents, and how Margo figures out how to make a life for herself and her baby, amidst so many challenges, is so wonderfully and creatively written. I haven’t even touched on her father’s former career as a professional wrestler or Margo’s OnlyFans account. I could not recommend this book more.
Thank you to William Morrow and Netgalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book is about a 19 year old that finds herself pregnant after a short affair with her professor. She decides to keep the baby. Her mother is not in a position to help her. She loses her job because she has no childcare. She loses roommates because they cannot handle the baby crying. She is at wits end. Rather than complain she starts looking for options where she can care for her baby and make a living. Margot takes on some Internet sex work. Hilarity ensues. As each obstacle is put in front of her, she finds a way around it. The book is funny and propulsive! You easily find yourself routing for Margot. This is such an enjoyable book. I loved it.

Many thanks to NetGalley and William Morrow for an advance reader copy.

I feel like this book was written for a reader much smarter than me. 😂 Like, I got it, and I liked it, but I kept feeling like maybe I <i>wasn't</i> getting it?

It's quirky, it's clever, it's messy, it's raw, and it's poignant. I went into it apprehensive because of the TikTok element as I'd recently read another book heavy on a TikTok plot and it did NOT resonate. Luckily, this one landed. A big part of that was because I really loved Margo's mind for business. I actually felt like I learned a few things about social media savvy.

Thorpe's ability to create a characters who are at once brilliant and capable of (what I deemed to be) really poor decisions in some situations truly illustrated how each of us is flawed and gifted in equal measure. I'm still thinking about many of them!

The point of view switching occasionally took me out of the story; it seemed more haphazard than strategic most of the time. I appreciated the attempt, though.

This book will make a fantastic book club read. The exploration into sex work and how we, as a society, treat sex workers provides an opportunity for deep and honest discussion.

Thank you NetGalley for sending me an ARC copy of this book! I am not being paid for this review.

I thoroughly enjoy this read and loved being inside Margot's head. The first half is definitely more of a page-turner than the second, but I liked the ending a lot. Excluding Margo, Jinx, and Mark, I felt like the side characters lacked depth, especially Suzie. Also, the long descriptions of the TikToks lost me a bit at times. I was rooting for Margot and Jinx, especially at the end.

Such a fun read! Now I want to look up and read all of Rufi Thorpe’s other books. Margo’s evolution into a confident business woman and mother, and her changing relationships with both of her parents, are a delight. Thanks, #NetGalley.

Margo has an affair with her married professor and gets pregnant and decides to keep the child. Margo lives with 3 other girls in a 4 bedroom apartment. She must find a way to care for her child and make a living.

“You are about to begin reading a new book, and to be honest, you are a little tense. 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. But this hope is tempered by the expectation that, in reality, you are about to have to learn a bunch of people’s names and follow along politely like you are attending the baby shower of a woman you hardly know. And that’s fine, goodness knows you’ve fallen in love with books that didn’t grab you in the first paragraph. But that doesn’t stop you from wishing they would, from wishing they would come right up to you in the dark of your mind and kiss you on the throat.”

Thank you for the author & NetGalley for the Advanced Reader Copy!

3.5 ⭐️ rounded down.

The synopsis had me hooked. As a naturally “nosy” human who also truly values the idea that we never know what someone else is going through behind closed doors — I couldn’t get my hands on this fast enough! I loved the determination of the FMC Margo and how she was willing to do whatever she could to make sure her child is taken care of. The rebuilding of her and her father’s relationship was so beautiful to me because of the grace they both gave each other. The true portrayal of what it takes to build an online business and the idea of it not being stable even during the months you made more money then you thought you would felt accurate and up to date. I did end up taking away a ⭐️.5 because I felt like Margo needed to set boundaries towards her mother Sheyenne + stepfather Kenny. Margo spends enough time obsessing about how her parenting is perceived, not to mention the unthinkable thing they did to her and Bodhi. I think had she of stood up, stuck to her guns and put them both in their place this book would have been a 4.5⭐️ for me for sure!

Margo is a hot mess!! She is so entertaining though. Margo is resourceful, feisty and always trying to do the right things.

The only social media I have is GoodReads… so it was a little hard to completely get the viral videos etc. that being said, I never felt that I was lost or didn’t understand what was going on.

I found a lot of things that Margo went through unbelievably relatable (besides the Onlyfans/social media aspect). I too was a single mom at 20 going through evaluation, custody, and trying to grow up with out messing up in a real hurry.

This book was an adventure to read. You never really know what Margo was going to do next.

Thanks to William Morrow and NetGalley for the ARC. My first from this author. A quick fun read. An entertaining dive into what is really a pretty big issue. Give it a go and enjoy.

5/5 stars
I knew nothing about this book when I started it, and I’m glad I didn’t, because I’m not sure any back page summary could ever really capture all the nuance of this story. I really loved it….the characters, the improbability of all of it, the chaos and the love. It was a delightfully surprising, odd and beautiful novel….no notes.

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. READ THIS BOOK.

TW: substance abuse, recovery, drug use, sexual content, CPS

This was such a refreshing and modern fiction book that made me laugh, cry, empathize, sympathize and everything in between. The changes from first person to third person were so seamless it didn’t stop me from keeping my reading momentum going.

Margo is such a unique and creative character, showing just how far you can go to bring up yourself from the trenches while still taking care of all the people around you.

The positive light that the book shines or sex work is refreshing and a nice way of showing that it IS legitimate work.

Her writing style as a character is so fun and light hearted. No matter how rough the situation, she never loses her creative sparkle.

✨Book Review!✨
“Margo’s Got Money Troubles”
Written By: Rufi Thorpe
Published by: William Morrow
Publication date: June 11th, 2024
ARC provided by Netgalley
•••
Margo is a 19 year old college student who soon finds herself in the biggest predicament of her life after having a romantic relationship with her married English professor. Margo soon finds out just how difficult raising a baby is with a lack of help and resources for young mothers. With an absent father, an unreliable mother and a professor who wants nothing to do with his child… Margo must find a way to provide for herself and her child without leaving her home.
How does she do this you ask?
None other than…OnlyFans.
•••
Margo’s Got Money Problems was a laugh out loud story about a struggling young mother doing her best to provide for her child and keep her sanity while fighting the stigmatism of online “sex work”.

Thank you SO much to Rufi, William Morrow and NetGalley for allowing me to read this ARC! It was honestly a really well thought out and well written story that pulled at my heart strings, pissed me off a bit on Margo’s behalf and made me laugh more times than I could count.

1- Characters: 9
2- Atmosphere/Setting: 9
3- Writing Style: 10
4- Plot: 9
5- Intrigue: 9
6- Logic/Relationships: 8
7- Enjoyment: 9

Total Score: 61
63/7 = 9
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The only thing that really made me give the story 4 stars instead of 4.5 or 5 was the semi-abrupt ending. I felt like I maybe needed more out of it in the end? Or maybe I was just enjoying the story so much that I was sad when it ended? Either way, I really enjoyed the book overall!

While "Margo's Got Money Troubles" tackles relatable themes of motherhood and societal expectations, I found the execution lacking. Margo's character, a 20-year-old mother turning to an OnlyFans account for income, has potential, but her story felt inconsistent. The innovative shifts between first and third-person perspectives were ambitious but often jarring, and Margo's development was overshadowed by the book's brisk pace. Despite some genuinely funny moments and a heartfelt attempt at a coming-of-age narrative, the storytelling felt unfinished, leaving me disconnected from Margo's journey.

snappy, funny, and super heartwarming more often than not. i laughed, i teared up, i highlighted (quite literally) over one-hundred passages while i was reading. never did i ever think a book about an onlyfans girl, her newborn, and her ex-wrestler dad would touch me like this, but i’m really, really glad it did!

the only “weird” thing about the book is the way rufi thorpe swaps back and forth between different perspectives; it took me out of the book a tiny, tiny bit in the beginning, and i barely noticed it by the end, but i could see that grating at people who are particular about that sort of thing.

thanks to the publisher and netgalley for the ARC!

After sleeping with her married college English professor, Margo finds herself pregnant and decides to keep it. After giving birth, she quits college, is fired from her job, and the baby daddy wants nothing to do with Margo or her baby, Bodhi. Margo’s former addict and WWE star father, Jinx, moves in with Margo to help raise Bodhi. With dwindling cash and limited options, Margo decides to start her own Only Fans account to make ends meet.
This isn't something I would generally pick up, and addictive writing style really helped with that. I mean this is the perfect example of a page turning novel that grabs your attention from the first line. Everything felt so raw and authentic, I'm genuinely in awe of the author. The POV was interesting to say the least, just mesmerizing! I loved the references to Margo's English class and how those may have impacted the experience.

This is a wonderfully entertaining book, with a cast of offbeat characters. The characters are well-developed, especially Margo’s dad, Jinx. It was wonderful watching them reconnect and develop.
I cannot wait to read more by this author. I think this will be on many reader's book club lists as a must read.
Thank you NetGalley, William Morrow and Rufi Thorpe for the ARC in exchange for an honest review