A story of a young woman who’s struggling to wrest money and power from a world that has little interest in giving it to her.
Margo Millet has always known she’d have to make her own way in life. The daughter of an ex-hooter’s waitress and an ex-pro wrestler, Margo enrolls at her local junior college as she’s still trying to find her path. She certainly never intended to have an affair with her English professor. The affair was brief, but has some life changing consequences. When Margo finds out that she’s pregnant, she goes against everyone’s advice by deciding to keep the baby. Looking back, this decision was likely fueled by great naïveté and a yearning for something bigger.

Margo is 20 now. She’s alone with an infant, unemployed, and on the verge of eviction. She needs a large cash infusion like yesterday. When her estranged father, Jinx, knocks on her door. He’s looking for a place to stay, and Margo agrees to let him stay with her in exchange for him helping out with childcare.

Margo’s solved the rent problem, but she certainly still has money trouble. She decides to try something new, something bold - she’s going to start an OnlyFans. It starts as an experiment, but Jinx, the former pro-wrestler, starts to offer her some strategic show business advice. With his advice, such as marketing herself as a compelling character instead of just plain Margo, her profile begins to rise. Is this venture the answer to all of her problems or will Margo learn that the price of internet fame is too high.

This story won’t be everyone’s cup of tea. There’s this absurdist tone that is reminiscent of a really great indie movie. None of the characters are traditional and each character is so singular that at first glance, you wouldn’t think they would fit in the same story. Margo is a woman whose story has become all too common in the last decade or so; a young woman taken advantage and forced to make the best choice she can out of not good options. Her and Jinx’s relationship was so intriguing. It was not a traditional father daughter relationship, nor was it a healthy sustainable one. As you read, you begin to sense that this period of closeness has an end date approaching.

The story began to lose me as the OnlyFans marketing plot went a little off the rails. I was more interested for a close look at the effects sex work has on those who engage in it. We live in a culture where in some areas, sex work has become glamorized and has been rebranded as a liberating career. What I was hoping this book would offer was a look behind the curtain at all of the ways that this field can threaten your sense of identity, autonomy, and safety. There was some of that as we see how the relationships in Margo’s life are affected as her story unfolds. Essentially, there were hints of what I wanted to explore, but it was lacking the true emotional journey I was looking for,

Elle Fanning narrated the audiobook and she was phenomenal! I read this via audio and if you are an audiobook listener, this is a great choice to read that way.

Thank you to the publisher, Netgalley, and the Libro.fm ALC program for providing a copy in exchange for an honest review!

Rating: 3.75

I loved the book. Here's my published review: https://www.postandcourier.com/features/book-review-rufi-thorpe-melindas-got-money-troubles/article_4602394c-4858-11ef-a30b-cf8209d9d7d8.html

This book was a great exploration of how difficult it is to become an adult (especially when you're a new mom). Sometimes it's hard to read about the stupid decisions young people make, and I was definitely cringing as I read this. But at the same time, it's also a hopeful story and a really solid tale about parenting. Some of the subject matter was a little graphic for me, but I do appreciate Thorpe's obvious talent. I'm excited for the television series based on this, because I think the story will lend itself to this kind of format.

What an excellent coming-of-age story—engaging, emotionally charged, and deeply relatable. The characters are richly developed, each eliciting strong reactions, often fueled by their flawed and impulsive decisions. You’ll find yourself unexpectedly rooting for those who may not deserve redemption, while actively wishing bodily harm to others.

The emotional complexity is compelling, and the author masterfully keeps you invested from start to finish. My only critique is that the conclusion felt a bit too brief. An extended ending or an epilogue would have provided the closure I was craving—just a little reassurance that Margo, Jinx, and Bodhi are still doing alright.

This makes an excellent book for a girls book club pick.

Very odd characters, but a very entertaining story I guess?? I definitely was sitting and chuckling to myself while reading this. While I was definitely shaking my head at Margo's decisions, I was still rooting for her through all her struggles.

I really liked this book. It was a different tone than my usual read but kept me entertained. It had a fun cast if characters that all had unique personalities. The narrator was real, honest but funny at the same time. She was easy to root for and as a reader you want her want to be successful as she went through real struggles as a single mom while making questionable choices. I look forward to reading more by this author.

I have seen that this book was well liked. But ugh. Honestly it is probably life now a days and the story did develop. But honestly, it was weird. Not my cup of tea.

this was such a fun and goofy novel with the dash of satirical humor i adore, but still touched on a lot of important contemporary societal issues that many women face everyday.

“I’m just saying … when you’re lost in the deep dark forest, the thing to do isn’t to get scared of the trees. You have to find your way out again.”

What Worked: This was a very fun book that was a little bit of everything – a little bit funny, a little bit sad, a little bit raunchy, a little bit pure – but one thing it had loads of was heart. Elle Fanning did an amazing job narrating the audiobook, which sucked me right into Margo and her world of troubles after having her baby, losing her job, and finding a new one with its own set of complications. There are some great characters here. There were times when I was uncomfortable or anxious, and I wasn’t a fan at first, but then I realized that this was the author trying to make me feel this way, so I stopped worrying and started to be impressed that the author’s writing could have that effect. There are also plenty moments of joy. I don’t really laugh at books, but this one definitely made me smile and forcibly blow air out of my nose.

What Didn’t: Personally, I don’t really mind it because I love a behind the scenes look at a creator’s process, but I have a feeling some of the scenes dealing with social media and the algorithm might be a bit much to some readers. The tedious description of every step might not be up everyone’s alley, but I’m sure it’s something all of us Bookstagrammers can relate to when trying to boost engagement and gain followers. (Maybe we should just join OF? No, no, no. No… no?)

Rating: Really Liked It

Rufi Thorpe knocks it out of the park in this novel! This book is entertaining and beautifully written. Once you start it, you will find yourself wanting to finish it in one sitting. Highly recommend!

Honestly, this is a rare DNF for me. I may just not be the target audience for it, but I just couldn't get past the first few chapters, no matter how may times I tried.

Not sharing my review online, as I didn't read enough to feel fair.

Margo's Got Money Troubles was a unique and fast-paced read. I really enjoyed following Margo's journey and was drawn to her as a character. I felt myself rooting for her and her family and found the tone of the novel to be super interesting-- dark but also somehow hopeful and lighthearted at the same time.

3.5 ⭐️rounded up because it was a pretty fun read. I really liked the writing and the main character BUT it kind of lost me in the details and went on way too long.

I liked the cast of characters in Margo's Got Money Troubles from her pro-wrestler dad to her social media friends. It made for a fun cast of characters. From the reviews on social media, I really thought this was going to be one of my favorite books of the year, however it was okay. It was heartwarming and fun at times but also very slow and boring in others. I enjoyed parts but overall the story did not wow me.

I never thought I would find a book about an onlyfans account to be so empowering? You couldn't help but root for the main character and her struggles as a single mom, even as she made questionable decision after questionable decision...but then she had you re-thinking everything you thought before! Mind blown. Looking forward to reading more by this author!

Margo's Got Money Troubles was a totally unexpected hit for me! I was not planning to be so completely invested in her life, problems, or creative ways to handle obstacles. :) Her relationship with her father left the book leaps ahead of other novels about family dynamics.

I did not like this book. It is about a young woman who gets pregnant and decides the best way to earn a living is by becoming a prostitute. I liked the beginning of the book but by the end I wanted it to be over. I cannot recommend this book. I found this book to be demining to women and felt like it was supposed to be funny, but it was not especially in the current political times. I don't understand the thinking of this book--it made no sense to me since the main character Margo, could have found another job. In fact, it hardly had any information about her job search. I expected a lighthearted funny comedy and instead read this tragedy that made no sense to me.

I love Rufi Thorpe so much! She develops the best characters filled with reality, quirk, and humor. Reading this as a new mom made it even better. I found myself so proud of Margo for doing whatever it takes to care for her son and standing by her choices even if they were deemed unconventional. Margo is brilliant, caring, and determined. This was a great coming of age story.

Loved it. Brilliant characters and storytelling. I read this a while ago so I don't have much more to add.

I absolutely loved this book! Margo is complex, strong, and naive all at once, and just doing her best in a rough situation. All the characters felt fully realized and the storyline was interesting while remaining realistic. While a lot of it was hard to read, there was also a lot of humor and a lot of hope, which I really appreciated.