Love Margot! This is such a clever book. Rufi Thorpe has done it again. If you enjoy a book that makes you think while also laughing this will be a great read for you. Set in present day Southern California, it touches on issues of single parenthood, sex work, drug,culture. Ultimately it is a story of love and hope and family. Great! I found it a bit slower than earlier Thorpe but maybe it addresses more serious issues.

You know a book is enjoyable when you don't hate that your kid is insisting on cuddling with you from 2am-5:15am because you can read this book on your Kindle.

I really loved this book. I loved the character development, loved the shifting of point of view, and loved the entirely unique story line.

This was an ARC from NetGalley but definitely grab this as soon as you can.

A book outside my comfort zone, but one I enjoyed all the same. I don't know how to categorize it, maybe plain Literary Fiction touching upon some mature themes, sex work being a major one.

I found it very interesting how the MC is only 20. Still somewhat a teenager forced into adulting too quickly. I could see her maturity and frustration in the story, yet how she handles her situation, and her clarity of thought was commendable and had me hooked from the start. I love how her relationships are messy and complicated, the way they mold her as a person. I think Thrope did justice to all the side characters, showing bits of each person that bought the story together. I personally loved seeing Bodhi grow and gain more personality as the story progressed, making it that much more adorable and enchanting.

As I said, 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.

On the topic of sex work, this opened my eyes to how normal and straightforward the job can be. Having recently watched "Gangubai Kathiawadi", a Bollywood movie and the real story of a sex worker's urge to introduce labor rights at the brothel. (If you liked the movie, you should try this book) It's also interesting how other aspects of Margo's life like her infant, her drug addict father, her mom's situation and the conflict with her ex-professor played into making her life the way it was.

I'm still processing my feelings about this book, but I know that I adored it. I'm happy starting my year with books like this one, so it's an easy recommend.

Weird and sad and hysterical and perfect. I highlighted many parts of this book, but to me this one sums it up. “She would never pay fifteen dollars to look at a guy naked. You could buy two, possibly three sandwiches for fifteen dollars.” Keep an eye out for Margo when the book comes out this summer.
(Thanks to NetGalley and William Morrow for the ARC.)

I was a big fan of "The Knockout Queen" when I read it, and was thrilled to receive an e-ARC copy of Rufi Thorpe's upcoming novel "Margo's Got Money Troubles."

All together, I really enjoyed this book. I've never read a book from the POV of someone doing online sex work (Only Fans in this case) - the judgement, plus all the marketing and logistics that come with it, was really interesting to read about. I did wonder often if it was a tad unrealistic - the characters all had far more maturity than I think they would've in reality, the hard aspects of being a young mom to an infant with little to no support felt brushed over, and the book's conclusion was tied together in a bow a little too perfectly. That said, I was rooting for the characters, so I was fine with a happy ending.

The author also weaved in some areas where she used first person or third person for the main character Margo. I get that she was doing this because Margo attended a writing class about fictional characters and writing structure, but in the end the experimentation just felt unnecessary/unimpactful.

Even though I had critiques, this book was compulsively readable, and I found myself excited to return to it. Thanks Netgalley for the chance to review!

Pub Date: June 11, 2024.

This book is a star. From the first paragraph I was hooked. It managed to be literary, trashy and addictive all at once. I’ve enjoyed all of this authors books, but this one is my true love.

My first arc. Thanks NetGalley.
This was such a great book!! I really couldn’t put it down for a whole 2 days. I loved the characters/their flaws so much. Margo may just be one of my favorite characters from a book in a long time. This book is definitely worth a read, it’s funny, empowering and uplifting all in one! This is my first time reading from this author but definitely won’t be my last.

I could not love a book more. As a single mom, it was so easy to see myself in Margo when I was younger.
The struggle of identity from not being able to separate who you are from the label of being a Mother.
The money problems, not knowing how to make ends meet. How to balance childcare, and still pay the bills.
The flip flopping family dynamics. Not having the support you need, having too much input from people that think they know what’s best for your child. Trying to appease all sides of everyone involved.
I adored Margo, she is witty, strong, unbothered and determinedly powerful. Her unwavering love for her child propels her to new heights, and it was beautiful to watch her grow into this new version of her self. I especially loved watching her relationship blossom with her father. It was funny, it was raw, and it was frustratingly real.
I will recommend this to everyone I know. This is not one to be missed. I hope this isn’t the last we see of Margo Millet, Jinx, and Bodhi.

5 ⭐️

Oh my gosh, this book was delightful. It is laugh out loud funny, insightful, thought provoking, unpredictable and sad all at the same time. I really think this book will hit home with many demographics and it covers issues that many young women struggle with on a daily basis. I was routing for Margo the whole time and I think she is such a strong, independent character that is forced to grow up quickly and deal with real life issues she is not prepared for.

I thought this was going to be a light, fluffy book but it's so much more than that. The characters are complex and the writing will make you empathize with each and every character. You will be angry, you will be upset, you will be elated.

This book is wonderfully written and 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.

A 20 year old woman becomes pregnant after an affair with her English professor. She finds how how expensive raising a child is. Her ex wrestler dad moves in with her and she starts an Only Fans account to help with her money issues.

I loved The Knockout Queen and really thought I would love this one as well. Honestly, I just did not care for any of the characters. Margo seemed pathetic and childish. I think many 20 year old women will like this book and can relate more to the story.

Thank you to NetGalley, William Morrow and Rufi Thorpe for the digital arc copy of this book.

I'm shocked that this novel about an OnlyFans account and a WWE father really captured my heart! I loved this fast, fun read about Margo and the ways she had to adapt when she found herself all alone and broke with a newborn baby and no support. I'll be thinking about this one for a while!

This author knows how to write great characters that make you feel something. This is my first book by this author and it was such a delight. I loved the female main character and I was super invested in her story. While I am not a mother like Margo is, it didn't stop me from enjoying this book. Margo showed such resilience in this book as she goes through a lot of tough situations and makes some mistakes along the way. Her relationship with her father is also such a delight and it reminds me to spend more time with my own father. I think it would definitely make an interesting book club pick.

Will be checking out the author's other works as well.

Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow for this arc in exchange for a fair and honest review.

A delight! Full of humor, surprises, and amazing characters that seem all too real.

This was my first read by this author and I am very impressed. She takes characters with outrageous backgrounds and personalities and transforms them into people you care deeply about (perhaps except for Shyanne and Kenny!). I found myself actively rooting for and empathizing with Margo early on in her story, feeling distressed when she was distressed, happy when she was happy, and so on. Margo’s Got Money Troubles is unusual, captivating, and thoroughly entertaining reading experience.

Thank you very much to William Morrow and NetGalley for the opportunity to read a copy.

This was a great quick read. I was rooting for Margo the whole time and her tenacity and resiliency was incredible. The author did wrote descriptions of motherhood, how her relationships develop, and her journey with Only fans. The humor throughout helps tackle difficult topics. Even more enjoyable if you're a wrestling fan.

Talk about fiction expanding your empathy! I absolutely loved this book - it was unlike anything I've ever read before in how it switched perspectives and challenged my ideas about making "good" or "right" choices. Thorpe's writing is so funny, sharp, and insightful, and the characters are so lovable. I was sad to finish the book and leacve them behind. I look forward to checking out Thorpe's other work on the strength of this novel.

I didn’t love this one as much as I thought I would. I definitely will enjoy spreading the word about this to family and friends. I loved the plot and the characters very much!

After getting pregnant by her professor, Margo drops out of college to care for her son. When she loses her waitressing job due to calling in too often and two of her roommates move out, she finds herself in a serious financial bind. Enter two unlikely saviors: her estranged ex-wrestler father and OnlyFans.

I've loved all.of Rufi Thorpe's previous books, so I was excited to get this ARC, and it did not disappoint.
By turns hilarious, hopeful, and heartbreaking, it's a fantastic read! Margo is certainly not a "perfect" character and makes some big mistakes along the way, but she does the best she can. Her father Jinx is a lot of fun too. My only real complaints: I think the title is clunky (Margo Needs Money flows more smoothly to my ear), there's a romance angle that seemed too good to be true, and it almost reads as an OnlyFans advertisement at times. I don't have an issue with OF, but this book kind of made it sound like a surefire get rich scheme when in reality it's so oversaturated from people joining during the pandemic that most people won't make bank. Then again, I don't need my novels to be ultra realistic...that's what nonfiction is for! Minor issues when the book overall is so good.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!

The book was a funny read. Not to giveaway any spoilers, the adjusting to motherhood and the development/evolution of the relationship the main character has with her father makes for a good read. I enjoyed the book. Glad to have received this ARC. Thanks to NetGalley!

Rufi Thorpe’s latest, MARGO’S GOT MONEY PROBLEMS, deals with heavy topics, unwanted pregnancy, drug addiction, sexual predation, pornography, to name the most obvious ones, in such a light-hearted manner that readers willingly go along for the ride. At least I did. So likable, so buoyant, so periodically insightful, Margo is the gravitational center to a cast of laugh-out-loud characters, what used to be called misfits but increasingly are becoming neighbors and friends. The only completely normal character is her baby, Bodhi, who seems at every turn to be developing on cue.

The book’s main misfire was switching between first and third person narration. While it was not confusing or off-putting, I kept waiting for it to pay off. Which never happened.

With thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

*Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow for providing this book, with my honest review below*

Margo’s Got Money Troubles by Rufi Thorpe opens with a description of what most everyone picking up a book must wish for, “that from the first lines….you will sink into the story like a hot bath, giving yourself over entirely”. This isn’t just a great line but it exactly describes how I feel about this book.

A catchy description had me wanting to read this but excellent writing and a unique plot kept me engaged throughout. I loved Margo and her father, Jinx. I loved how scrappy the story was and where it took me. I didn’t love Shyanne, Margo’s mom who clearly hadn’t ever really grown up, and some other choice characters. But Thorpe writes so well that I felt my dislike and love as I might for those around me, testament to a great story.
I would recommend this for anyone looking for an empowering and hilarious read, not just women, as it was great fun.

Thank you again for the ARC, William Morrow. It is much appreciated and I enjoyed the read and the opportunity to share my feedback.