Margo’s Got Money Troubles
Pub Date: June 11, 2024
4/5 ✩
I truly can’t remember the last time a book hooked me as quickly as this one did. Within the first 5 pages I knew this would be at least a 4 star read for me. I laughed, cried, cringed, and broke out in nervous sweats (several times).

This story follows a young college student named Margo who finds herself in an inappropriate relationship with her (married) college professor that results in pregnancy. Very quickly she realizes how difficult it is to raise a
child alone, especially when you’re ill-prepared. When she can’t find childcare and is subsequently fired from her job, she then takes to OnlyF@ns in the hopes of being able to care for her baby and support them financially at the same time. We watch her navigate the struggles of being a single parent, the judgment of being in sex work, and the consequences that can come with it.
Margo is an incredibly relatable character and I truly empathized with her. As a mother myself, I could see that all she wanted was to be a good mother to Bodhi and provide for him, but life kept getting in the way at every turn. I loved the commentary not only on the stigmas of sex work and how it can impact someone’s life as a result, but also the lack of social structures in place to help mothers. This was one of the most unique stories I’ve ever read and maybe a little out of my comfort zone, but it was thoroughly entertaining and I have 0 regrets after reading it!

I loved this book. I loved Margo and all the weird and charming characters this book brought to life. I loved the shifting of first and third-person narration (its confusing at first, but bear with Thorpe -- she knows what she's doing).

We meet Margo as she brings home her baby to her apartment for the first time. Margo has an affair with her professor, and ends up becoming pregnant with her son, Bodhi. Shortly after Bodhi's birth, Margo is fired from her waitressing job because she doesn't have childcare, two of her roommates move out because they can't stand living with a newborn, and her mother is dating a man who doesn't know that Margo even has a baby.

It's with this backdrop that we embark on our journey with Margo. Her father, Jinx, a washed-up pro wrestler, who had Margo during an affair with her mother, Shyanne, who has been in and out of her life has turns up at Margo's doorstep, recently divorced and trying to get clean. It is because of Jinx that Margo makes a lot of decisions throughout the book. While he isn't a central figure in her life before Bodhi, he plays a pivotal role as Margo transitions into motherhood and making a career for herself. Jinx is the reason that Margo starts exploring OnlyFans, why Margo is able to fight for Bodhi, and inevitably why Margo finds herself in a difficult situation with Bodhi's father. Both of Margo's parents are infuriating, loveable, and flawed. I loved seeing the development of Margo's view of both of them as she cares for her own child on her own.

This is my first Rufi Thorpe novel and I loved it so much. Her descriptions of certain things are so freaking funny. For instance, of Margo's first impression of her mom's boyfriend's house where she describes his walls as having the "texture of psoriasis" really got me. I don't know why.

I also need to mention how much I loved the wrestling aspect of this book. My older brother was a huge WWE (at the time it was called the WWF) fan and I was, by the laws of little sisters, also a fan. This was a fact that I tried to hide (as I'm sure you can guess, it was decidedly very uncool for a 9 year old girl to watch wrestling) but my brother would bring it up to embarrass me at any point in time he deemed necessary. I would hide under the covers when the Undertaker came on the scene, and when we recently went on family vacation to Clearwater, my husband and kids were unimpressed with my hopes of getting a sneak of Hulk Hogan.

Five easy stars. A unique gem -- preorder it!

I really really really loved this book. I loved Margo, I loved Jinx, I loved Bohdi. Margo becomes pregnant with her married English professor's baby. Despite everyone telling her otherwise, she decides to keep the baby and raise him alone. After getting fired from her waitressing job because of lack of child care, she starts an OnlyFans to support herself and her son. Her father, a former professional wrestler named Jinx, moves in with her after getting out of rehab, and he helps with child care and rent.
Margo is one of my favorite characters I've read in a long time; She is relatable and funny, she's smart while also showing her age & naivety, and at the end of the day all she wants is what is best for her son. The book does switch between first and third person POVs, which was confusing at first, but once I got used to the way it was written, and figured out why it was written that way, I actually really loved it.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of Margo's Got Money Troubles in exchange for my honest review.

Many thanks to NetGalley and William Morrow Press for this ARC! I thought that this book was entertaining. It took me a bit to get into this book but once I did, I found myself looking forward to picking it up and reading. I really enjoyed that the characters in this book felt real. They faced (mostly) real problems and adversities that many others tend to face. It showed the necessity of being scrappy in the face of money troubles.

It's been a while since I've stayed up until the wee hours of the morning to finish a book just because I couldn't wait to find out what was going to happen next but Rufi Thorpe's MGMT did it. It is funny and insightful, and it deals with some serious issues without a preachy undertone. Margo and her friends and family felt so real, it was easy to understand the bad choices they made and root for them to do better. It's a hopeful read and I think it will be a great summer read.

Thanks to Net Galley and the publisher for the ARC copy, now I'm off to read Rufi Thorpe's back catalog.

Margo's Got Money Troubles by Rufi Thorpe
I don't know how I feel about this book.
What I like:
The plot is interesting: a 19 year old gets seduced (kinda) by her English teacher, decides to have the baby, starts an Only Fans to earn money, and is mentored by her professional wrestling dad in self promotion and business.
The character of Margo was nuanced, matured over time, and was generally interesting. I said she kinda gets seduced because the whole time she is torn between apathy and affection for her professor.
I, reluctantly, loved the character of Jinx (the wrestler dad) even when he did things that also made me hate him.
JB! And the writing he and Margo did.
A new mom myself, thus book accurately portrays the sheer affection, love, exhaustion, and fear of being a first time mom.

What I didn't like:
The one dimensional other Only Fans content producers.
The back and forth pov between 3rd and 1st person and its starts in 2nd person!?! I don't know that this conceit worked. It was maybe too meta. Like the author was trying to make a statement. At times it worked. But in the end there was no conclusion to the rhythm of it all.

So maybe if I keep thinking on it I will know how exactly I feel. It was an interesting read which I did in 1 day. Sex work is fair work and I appreciated the stance and thought provoking exploration of Only Fans.
3.5 stars. Because I vacilated so much.

Thanks to Net Galley and Harper Collins for this eARC in exchange for my honest review. I'm glad I got a chance to read it.

Big thank you to NetGalley for this ARC.
I've never read anything by Rufi Thorpe but after reading Margo's story, I plan to read all of her books. I loved this book. It took me a little while to get going but then I couldn't put it down.
Margo is one of those people who you want to smack and yell at because every decision she makes seems to be the wrong one...including having a baby at this stage of her life. However, the more you get to know her and her family, the more you get it. You can't help but cheer for her when she finally gets her financial situation figured out...and while it may be a very VERY unconventional way of making money, it's honest and she's doing what needs to be done for her family. All of it was so good..except the ending. I felt the last chapter was a little rushed and I really felt like some story lines needed to be tied up a little better (her mom! Ugh! Mark's mom! double ugh) but Margo is one of those characters that I can't help but cheer for.

Book # 7 of 2024: Margo’s Got Money Troubles by Rufi Thorpe 💥

I had a lot of fun reading this book and it was hard to put down. It was a 5/5 for me. Whereas I feel that it was mostly a light read, there was certainly some depth to it.

Main points:

-fun
-audacious
-page turner
-well written
-interesting plot
-has just enough depth
-very current and heavy in social media stuff (and interactions)

Margo is discovering who she is and what she wants to do once Bodhi (her son) is born and she faces life as a single mother. Her fling with Bodhi’s father is over, she is in a dire financial situation and decides to give OnlyFans a go. What could go wrong?

I enjoyed seeing Margo navigate life as a new mother and doing so in an unconventional way. Social media is such a huge part of people’s lives these days, the way things unfolded was really on point.

She faced a lot of challenges as she tried to define who she was and what she was doing. Was she a sex worker? Was she a cam girl? Did it matter? Did it define her as a person? Did it make her less of a mother?

She had a unique family dynamic growing up with her father being a professional wrestler and being away either wrestling or at home with his other family. I like how we get to see her relationship evolve with both of her parents after she has Bodhi. I was especially fond of her time with her father when despite his flaws and issues, she was so understanding and selfless towards him.

Margo is a very like-able character and even though she is very young, she makes decisions that are way beyond her years. She reads and understands people in a way they may not understand themselves.

This book is rated R and whereas there are no detailed sex scenes in it, there are certain body parts that are mentioned here and there. This is done well though and did not bother me in any way.

I rate this book 5/5.

THIS BOOK. Oh, this book.
I received this as an ARC and after reading the synopsis, I feared it might be a little 'fluffy'. But I was so wrong. The characters in this book were so nuanced and witty and lovable (even when they would do anxiety-inducing unlovable things). I was so invested in Margo and Bodhi and Jinx through all their struggles. I did not want the story to end!
Definitely my favorite read of the month.
The writing of this book was top notch and I cannot wait to read more from Rufi Thorpe in the future!

I would like to thank NetGalley and William Morrow for providing me with an advance e-galley of this book in exchange for an honest review. Look for it in your local and online bookstores and libraries on June 11, 2024.

"Marco's Got Money Troubles" is the kind of book I want to give all my girlfriends for their birthdays, it's just that good. Clever, hilarious, insightful and engaging, with characters who are actually characters -- like, now that I've finished the book, I'm bringing them up to friends because they feel like people I actually know and miss. I just downloaded Rufi Thorpe's other books to read as well because I need more of this kind of writing and storytelling. Thank you NetGalley, for the ARC. #MargosGotMoneyTroubles #NetGalley

Thank you NetGalley and William Morrow press for providing this ARC in exchange for my unbiased review.

I’m calling this one 2.5 stars rounded up.

Margo is a 19 year old college student who finds herself “in the family way” after a brief affair with her married professor. Reality quickly sets in when she realizes how hard being a parent is, not to mention the financial cost. When Margo’s ex-wrestler opioid addict dad comes to live with her his wrestling knowledge somehow leads Margo to exploring work on Only Fans. The story follows her entry into this form of work along with navigating how she manages her personal relationships while parenting.

This story was initially marketed as being “blisteringly funny” but I found it lacking in the humor. Yes, the absurdity of her life is somewhat funny but I honestly felt this story was more sad than hilarious. Coerced teacher/student relationships are inherently not funny. I commend the author’s positive framing of sex work but the whole time it feels like Margo doesn’t really want to be doing it and is just backed into a corner. I was rooting for Margo the whole time but felt really disappointed in this story as a whole.

Margo is real, and she has problems, and I loved how she moved through them the best she knew how. Don’t we all try to do that? At one point in the novel Margo acknowledges she and her family would be known as “white trash”. Thorpe is really illuminating the damage a label like that can do to people.

As real as Margo felt during the reading experience, I’m now reflecting that the feel-good positive outcomes aren’t terrible realistic for someone in her shoes. This story was entertaining and hopeful and I think it needed to be written this way in order to bring her circumstances to life.

In this book, we follow Margo who is 19 years old and having an affair with her professor which leaves her pregnant and alone in the decision of what to do. Ultimately, Margo decides to have the baby and we follow her on her journey of figuring out motherhood at this age, while also dealing with financial struggles and her personal relationships.

I read this book so fast and could not put it down! I love reading books that feel like the characters are real and experiencing real human challenges. I adored Margo and I felt so strongly for her. I just wanted the best for her, and to see her go through all of these obstacles just for her little boy, made me love her and root for her even more! I can’t exactly pinpoint why I connected with this book so much. I think I just read it at the right moment and time. This story will leave a lasting impression on me as something that feels real and honest. I connected with the writing and the characters, which are what made the book for me! I would definitely check this out when it releases in June if you like a fiction book with these types of themes! It’s so worth it!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this ARC copy, in exchange for my honest review!

Margo’s Got Money Troubles is a great story about the resourceful ways Margo comes up with to make money after she has a baby.
Margo is in a dire situation that goes from bad to worse but somehow always makes it through while the reader is rooting for her.
I loved her relationship with her father and her one roommate.
I just wish we had had some more info about her mother and what happened there, I felt like it ended abruptly and I wanted more of the writing from the latter half of the book.

Well-written, thought provoking and laugh out loud funny - this was one of the more unique and enjoyable reading experiences I've had in awhile! Describing this cast of characters and premise out loud makes it seem outrageous, but Rufi Thorpe makes it all work beautifully in a way that made me care deeply about all of these characters. My minor issue was that the romance piece felt a little random/minimally flushed out, but overall I really adored this book and think it is going to resonate with a lot of people!

10 stars out of 5!!! Absolutely loved this book - will absolutely be one of my favorite reads of 2024! It’s hard to fully explain why - it’s more than the plot it’s the characters and the way they think. At the beginning I thought maybe it wasn’t for me and by the middle I saw how it all worked and I was obsessed. I put it down for a while at 85% read because I wasn’t ready to be finished.

Oh - you want to know what it’s about? Well - as you may have guessed from the title, Margo has some money troubles. She just had a baby and dropped out of college. She ends up stumbling into the idea of starting an Only Fans account - and using the knowledge from her dad’s career in professional wrestling to grow her fan base. I love these characters. I want more of their lives. I want to see Margo five years later.

Thank you so much to the publisher and Netgalley for the free ebook to review.

Rufi does it again! Thorpe is incredible at creating flawed but sympathetic characters. To paraphrase Nora Ephron, Margo is the heroine in her own story, not the victim. Though no Pollyanna, her scrappiness, ingenuity, and decency will endear her to any reader.

I absolutely loved Knockout Queen, and was not expecting it to be so good.
The entire premise of Margo's Got Money Troubles is a fun one: Margo has an a affair with her junior college professor, becomes pregnant, keeps the baby, and realizes, she needs help! Margo is the daughter of a waitress and an ex-wrestler, named Jinx who while tormented by his inability to still wrestle, and was never around as a full fledged parent, has a heart of gold.

Margo, on the verge of becoming evicted, finds out that she can make her income by joining Only Fans. A story about young mothergood, making ends meet, parental relationships, and friendships, I found the book heartwarming and funny.

However, I was bored midway through. I ended up skimming through to the end.

Looks like Nicole Kidman will be turning this into a series, so it should be interesting on casting choices and wrestling humor!

I had trouble following with the all over the place writing with the changes of first person versus third person.