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.

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.