Absolutely delightful. I loved Margo and her motley band of misfits so, so much. Thorpe’s writing sparkles and is the perfect blend of fun, witty, and heartbreaking. The rare book where I would look at the percentage tracker as I read and be glad that I wasn’t as far into the story as I thought. I did not want it to end!

Wow I really really loved this. I think I’ve found my favorite genre in books… what I like to call the “weird contemporary”? I enjoyed Rufi thorpe’s other novel The Knockout Queen but this one was even better.
I couldn’t put it down, read it in 2 days. I was fully rooting for Margo and her little clan. 5 stars!

I really enjoyed this book. It was different from anything I’ve ever read, not only because of the POV shifts, but because it dealt with a subject matter of OnlyFans I haven’t ever read on in novels. I think a lot if people will be able to relate or at least empathize with Margo, loving her even in the moments when her mistake make them want to blame her for her lot in life. Overall, great read!!

2024 is off to a hot start with this 5 star read, Rufi Thorpe hit it out of the park again! I couldn't love this book more, and I will continue to read whatever Thorpe writes. She has a way of making characters who have completely different situations from me feel so relatable, her character's voices are so distinct and authentic. Margo is the daughter of a Hooters waitress and a professional wrestler, and finds herself pregnant from her English 121 professor at the age of 19. Against everyone's advice, she decides to keep the baby. As the title suggests, money troubles ensure, and Margo realizes she's over her head. She reconnects with her father, and starts an unconventional side hustle that proves more lucrative than I thought. I really think it's worth not knowing much about this story when you start, it was so much fun being surprised.

Nobody could have prepared me for the true plot of this book—though the synopsis promises an array of juicy details.
For yes, this is about OnlyFans and TikTok and pro-wrestling. It’s about a 20-year-old single mother, her son the result of an affair with her english professor.
And yet…oh man, oh yet. It is also a deeply, agonizingly human story about the judgments we make, the way we try and decide who “deserves” a Good Life.
Rufi Thorpe, master of fleshing out realistic characters for people to relate to, has somehow surpassed even herself. Here is a novel full of people who keep handing you reasons to root against them….though I promise you’ll stay glued to the story for the exact opposite reason. You will love them.

This was a book that I had such a hard time putting down. I didn’t really know what to expect, but the description had me so curious about how all the elements would come together, and I found myself so completely hooked. I went in with pretty much no expectations, having not read any of the author’s other work, and ended up enjoying it greatly.

We start off with Margo in the midst of an affair with her much older professor, but most of the book takes place after he has cut ties and she has had his baby, following along as Margo tries to make things work and get money to support her child. The arrival of Jinx is where things really take off. Not only do we get a tale of a daughter and her father reconnecting, but the family unit the develops with Margo, Jinx, Bodhi (the baby), and Suzie (Margo’s last remaining roommate) is so endearing and I loved this weird little crew. The emotional growth and the journey for each character was so rewarding, and the way that they played off of each other was quite compelling.

The combination of using storytelling techniques from pro wrestling and applying those to sex work primarily through OF was so interesting, and often just presented as matter of fact. Margo’s instinct for merging these two channels was so fun to see grow, and it was quite rewarding to see her come into her own. She goes from being slightly removed from the events she is partaking in, to having a sense of true ownership in everything she does and being empowered through everything she accomplishes.

The way the story is told was interesting, switching between first and third person POVs from Margo, and I loved the way that that is gradually explained within the work itself. There are also moments where the narration breaks and speaks directly to the reader. It was super meta while also being very earnest, and I was a huge fan of how all of the elements came together to create what is ultimately a heartfelt story. I was so invested in the entire story, and am now interested in reading some of the author’s other work.

This is a solid 5⭐️ for me!

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.