Was I so intrigued by the synopsis that I started reading this the day I got approved in spite of having more than ten other titles to read? Absolutely. Did I read this to the point of a book hangover because I just couldn’t stop? You know it. And finally, did I read this in one day? Do you really even need to ask?

Margo’s Got Money Troubles pulled me in immediately - the author managed to capture the panic one feels when caring for a newborn alone, and the memory of being an older teenage girl involved in a situation with an older guy who should know / do better.

On the whole other end of the spectrum now, as a mother with daughters nearing Margo’s age and I couldn’t stop reading this, and I will tell you that all of these characters come across as so real, in all their nuanced depths and layers. If you’re like me, you’ll be rooting for Margo throughout the entire book.

Strong recommendation.



Thank you to William Morrow and NetGalley for the DRC

This book cemented me as a lifetime fan of Rufi Thorpe - I will read whatever she writes. This novel is simultaneously so charming and yet so deeply emotional - the relationship between Margo and Jinx was so nuanced and lovely and complex. OnlyFans is something I know very little about, and honestly it was fascinating to learn more about the behind the scenes gears of it - I would like to read more books that treat sex work as work! I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys fiction about families, chosen and otherwise, work, and humor.

Margo Millet, impressionable student, becomes pregnant by her junior college professor Mark, who wants nothing to do with her decision to keep the baby. The novel follows her struggles to make enough money to survive - by using social media, getting followers, and making them pay for her various online services. I was amazed at the ways Margo makes money online. In a slightly pornographic way, she gets paid to describe pictures of male private parts, and also writes brief essays, on demand, for people who give her their writing prompts. Because she is creative in her writing, she gets attention and soon is making enough money with her web activities.

This kind of web activity must happen a lot in real life, I came to the conclusion, and it's interesting to be reading a book about it. There is romance at the end but this is in no way a rom com. That Margo is able to retain sole custody of her child when the father surfaces and demands custody, is both amazing and cleverly plotted.

A book for people who are social media fans and who interact with others online in a significant way, the book was an eyeopener for me about the direction our society is going in relation to the web and social media.

Though what Margo does in the beginning was iffy and barely legal, she finds ways to monetize her online activity and later heads into advertising and a more acceptable way of supporting herself.

Meta narrative doesn’t negate another book about female writing student sleeping with her male professor. Rufi Thorpe has a deft hand, but it’s in service of this story that keeps getting told. Not a fan of this.