SYNOPSIS
- Margot is nineteen when she becomes pregnant after her married 30 something college professor with questionable morals initiates an affair with her. She ends up becoming a single mom to her son, Bodhi.
- Margot was raised by Shyanne, her single mother, and her estranged dad, Jinx, is a former pro-wrestler. Jinx was married to another woman and has other kids.
- As Margot navigates becoming a new mom, two of her three roommates move out. Jinx simultaneously gets out of rehab & is fresh out his marriage ending, and he moves in with Margot, Bodhi, and Susie (the remaining roomie).
- After loosing her waitressing job due to lack of affordable childcare options, Margot turns to OnlyFans for income.

MY THOUGHTS
- Contemporary fiction
- This is my first Rufi Thorpe read, and I was blown away.
- I flew through this book in a day and a half.
- Thorpe expertly crafted a story that made me feel so many feelings & challenged me to reexamine how I view certain things.
- I really enjoyed how the notion of perspective is introduced, and Thorpe alternates between first person & third person.
- Thorpe’s writing is truly a master class in character development. Each character is flushed out, and all are human, flawed, nuanced, and real.
- The book explores a lot of deep themes and questions. What implicit biases we have toward other people based on what they do for money or limited information we have? How quickly do we judge others? What makes someone a good person? What is a good life? What preconceived notions do we carry about people we don’t know?
- I thoroughly enjoyed watching Margot navigate challenges

TL;DR: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ one of the best books of 2024. a master class in character development.

Thanks to William Morrow and Netgalley for this digital ARC in exchange for an honest review. This book will be published on June 11, 2024.

I can’t believe this title sat on my shelf for so long! This book was equal parts beautiful, partly original, and wildly entertaining.

Margo has found herself in an age old situation with her professor. Her mom is no help and her dad has a wife and kids of his own.

After she gets fired from her job because she can’t find childcare, she comes up with a solution where she can work and take care of her baby.

I found this plot interesting and hilarious in parts. Margo and her troubles had me staying up way past my bedtime. I would highly recommend and look forward to reading more from this author.

Rufi Thorpe does it again!!! The Knockout Queen was one of my favorite books in 2020, so I was ecstatic to see a new release from Thorpe. MGMT has everything - babies, wrestling, Arby's, religion, sex, bad people, good people, epiphanies, life lessons, and more. It contains characters that are layered, nuanced, and feel so real. Everybody has been talking about this book and it's worth the hype!

My only question is... how did she get approval to write about real wrestlers with their real names?

With a blurb by Kevin Wilson: "An audacious, wildly funny, completely unpredictable novel by a writer so singular that it’s hard to compare her to anyone else . . . absolutely brilliant.” [I was intrigued] And: " A bold, laugh-out-loud funny, and heartwarming story about one young woman’s attempt to navigate adulthood, new motherhood, and her meager bank account in our increasingly online world—from the PEN/Faulkner finalist and critically acclaimed author of The Knockout Queen.

As the child of a Hooters waitress and an ex-pro wrestler, Margo Millet's always known she’d have to make it on her own. So she enrolls at her local junior college, even though she can’t imagine how she’ll ever make a living. She’s still figuring things out and never planned to have an affair with her English professor—and while the affair is brief, it isn’t brief enough to keep her from getting pregnant. Despite everyone’s advice, she decides to keep the baby, mostly out of naiveté and a yearning for something bigger."

I decided--why not give it a whirl; I like to mix up my reads,

BUT. NOT MY JAM. Perhaps because I'm decades too old and don't fit the demographic for this book?!

In the distinct minority. I COULD HAVE WALKED AWAY AT ANY TIME!!

Plusses: not nails on the chalkboard prose, and a quick, easy read. Relatively short.

Minusses: DID NOT CARE ABOUT ANYONE, OR WHERE THIS WAS GOING [although I did like her father, Jinx, and her roommate Suzie]. Figured out one of the trajectories [mostly]. Did not care for the ending [no spoiler].

A unique but enjoyable read. Although Margo is in a difficult situation, she is determined to support herself by a means society deems unsavory. I liked how the author makes the reader think about society judges someone based on their career choices.

This book was hilarious. I enjoyed how the plot is a realistic situation that could happen in 2024! Super complicated and trying your best to do what is right!

I'm not crying you're crying. I LOVE Rufi Thorpe. She never misses, I absolutely loved Margo as well as all of the side characters. I usually devour books but I took this one SUPER slow because I didn't want it to end. An interest topic done exceptionally well. Well written and engaging, Thorpe hits me with another 5 star read!

I absolutely loved this novel!! While I truly have liked/loved every Rufi Thorpe book to date (and I have read all of them), this one is by far my favorite. It follows a young woman as she navigates an unplanned pregnancy and how she will support herself and her baby, and quickly devolves into a complex, yet quirky and hilarious story about how she goes about doing so. It has darker elements like previous Thorpe novels, yet it also retains a lot of lightness and humor, while making wry observations about modern life, motherhood, and technology.

Easy 5 stars!!

Loved this book! The title and cover look silly but the topic raises serious issues and it's so well written. A COULD NOT PUT DOWN for me. Plus, It's informative. I knew little about how these sites worked until reading. Very illuminating and Margo is a sympathetic character..

4 stars

Margo has a lot more than money trouble, and this book is one wild ride not only through Margo's long list of troubles but also through the way that modern women are too frequently stuck approaching life.

For me, this read is noteworthy, largely, for its wild location: Fullerton, California. Anyone who has ever been to Fullerton will wonder WHY it is set there and then, as soon as they start reading, they'll realize the extra hilarity of understanding what Fullerton is and what kinds of people/social circumstances are there, and how this book, somehow, really couldn't be set anywhere else. Beyond my niche obsession with the setting, there are a lot of other details to enjoy.

When readers meet Margo, she's a 19-year-old student at Fullerton College. Her English professor, who is a married father and close to 40, initiates an affair with her that results in a pregnancy that Margo keeps. Though Margo knows this won't be an easy experience, she goes for it, and this event becomes the catalyst for not only major future life changes but also a more thorough investigation of her past: her semi-despicable mom and - my fav - her dad, who is a retired pro wrestler. Since Margo and her mom were in the secret family camp of her dad's life, she knows what money struggles and parenting struggles can look like, but she is still just so naive. It's a joy to watch her navigate challenging circumstances and recognize where she's gone wrong. It's especially rewarding to see her grow and succeed.

I prefer to know as little about a book as possible before I start it, but one thing that really struck me is how focused on the humorous aspects of this folks are. While I can definitely see moments of humor, for me, this was a really serious and often sad read (though it's uplifting overall). This may be because I work so frequently with folks like Margo who are around the same age and experiencing extraordinary barriers. A lot of this was VERY close to home.

Another feature of this book I love, and there's a solid indicator of it in the title, is why it's told in third person and how the notions of perspective and narration work throughout the piece. From a literary perspective, this was an unexpected treat.

The bright colors on the cover and the apparently quippy nature of the title may lead prospective readers to believe that this is light-hearted chick lit. There's more to it than that.

I enjoyed this one and will be back for more from this author (including the back catalog).

"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."

Well, if the beginning of Margo's Got Money Troubles was indeed a first date, I'd say the novel in it's entirety was a courtship that ended in a marriage where the couple is holding hands at their 25th wedding anniversary, staring lovingly into each other's eyes, wondering how they got so lucky to have found each other. When I heard the premise, I thought the idea of this novel was a bit silly. Margo is a twenty year old mother to an infant with the ridiculous name of Bodhi. I mean, Bodhi is a tasty beer but that doesn't mean it's an appropriate name for a tiny human. Given that her baby's daddy is a married college professor, he wants nothing to do with little Bodhi - although maybe if she'd given him a less stupid name, daddy would've be more inclined to pitch in. Margo soon learns that being a single mother with no job and minimal education is just as hard as everyone's been telling her it'd be. Which sucks and all, but Margo's life is what it is and she needs a way to make cash monies - fast. Her retired pro wrestler father makes an offhand comment about a former coworker of his who made oodles of dollars via her OnlyFans account and it gets Margo's wheels spinning. Why can't she do that? What follows is an endearing, fun, and thought provoking read about a young woman's foray into a job choice that leads her down a path she never expected.

While the premise sounded silly, the execution was near perfection. I loved how the story jumped from first person to third person based on how difficult it was for Margo to tell her story - the tough parts required to her to step herself out of it and write it from an arms length whereas the easier parts could be written as herself. I'd never read a book written in such a way before. And all of the characters were so real. I could see 19-year-old Margo going along with an affair with her professor not because she was in love with him, but because she enjoyed being admired. How she chose to have the baby not from some inner voice telling her it was the morally correct thing to do, but because she felt like it was the right move for her personally, even if she couldn't explain why. I could see her mother, who desperately wanted to be loved by a man and was willing to do whatever it took to acquire that love. And I could see her father - who was absent when she was a kid and trying to make up for it when she needed him as a young adult.

I was not expecting the book to tackle the hard topics of women's rights, religion, drug use, and custody battles. But it did. And it did so well. All while being an enjoyable and fun read. Thorpe was able to balance hard topics and entertainment flawlessly.

The only thing I didn't like about this book was the name Margo decided to give her baby. Did I mention that already? But that minor annoyance won't stop me from highly recommending this book to anyone and everyone.

Margo is a 19 year old college student who becomes pregnant after an affair with her professor. She has to try to figure out what to do when she has the baby, and how to come up with enough money to survive. She ends up living with her absentee father, roommate, and child. She also turns to OnlyFans to generate income.

I really enjoyed this book and it is one of the most interesting books I’ve ever read. It’s told in first and third person and switches consistently, but it never detracts from the story. In fact, it makes it so much better, because you start to see the parts Margo chooses to tell in first versus third person.

Margo really was dealt a pretty crummy hand, but she always finds her way through. I loved her relationship with Suzie and Jinx. I loved watching her grow and come into her own, especially with confidence. And her relationship with JB, growing from small messages to much more. Not only that, but the book was genuinely funny. The Pokémon puns were hilarious. Jinx said some off the wall things that cracked me up in hindsight. There was a lot of heart packed into these pages.

A couple of favorite quotes:

“When you fall in love with a book, is it the character or the author you’re falling in love with?”

“People are all so lonely. Even when they do horrible things, it often comes down to that, if only you take the time to understand them.”

“Because that’s all art is, in the end. One person trying to get another person they have never met to fall in love with them.”

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book surprised me in all the best ways possible. I always prefer to skim a synopsis, going into a book with very little expectations, as I can get more surprises out of it. When I requested this galley, I knew that it was about a young, single mother, trying to survive all obstacles that came her way. However, given that I’d completely skipped most of the synopsis, I did not know that the father of her child was her college professor, nor that she would become an OF sensation - the fact that I didn’t expect this made it all the more entertaining to read. All that to say, I strongly recommend you skim - or entirely skip - synopses to have a thrilling reading experience every now and then; and of course, I highly recommend this book.

One of my favorite elements of this entire novel was the writing style. The fact that we start off with Margo in class, Mark discussing perspectives and point of views in fiction, and then for Thorpe to switch between first- and third-person POV throughout the novel??? That was absolutely brilliant. I’m a big fan of this type of usage of vocabulary, so I had a wonderful time trying to piece paragraphs together, and was more than happy to give the text a bit more attention than normal to notice when pronouns would switch, most definitely indicating something character-development-related.

The relationships that were portrayed in this story were also interesting to explore. I was especially fond of Margo and Jinx rekindling, or rather building from scratch, their father-daughter relationship. Margo’s relationship with JB was also a very nice touch; I was especially fond of it since I’m a romantic at heart. Although, I do wish we’d gotten to see a bit more of their relationship in person. I absolutely understand and respect how this was most likely a right-person-wrong-time type of scenario, what with everything Margo was going through, but still. I can’t help but be a little curious to know where these two would have ended up if they’d gotten a bit more “on screen” time.

I also enjoyed how the novel was filled with different elements. Did the fact that it was overflowing with content make me feel like some sections were not necessary? A little, yes. But at the same time, I personally rather enjoyed reading those scenes. Were they necessary? Perhaps not, but they were still entertaining to read and I (personally!) would never skip them.

While Margo was definitely in an unfortunate situation, and I can absolutely empathize with the struggle that she had to go through, it definitely gave me baby fever! Bodhi sounds like the cutest little munchkin on earth, and I desperately hope that we get some sort of adaptation for this book. I feel like it would make such an entertaining film.

Thank you so much for the e-ARC, I’m incredibly grateful I got to read this book and truly cannot WAIT to add it to my bookshelf! It’s been one of my favorite reads of the year thus far.

An extremely unique, quirky read that makes a seemingly simple story about a young woman turning to OnlyFans to make money into a more thoughtful, layered, story with memorable, fully fleshed out characters. Easily recommend. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy in exchange for an honest review.

"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."

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐆𝐢𝐬𝐭:
Growing up as the child of a Hooters waitress and a former pro wrestler, Margo Millet always knew she'd have to carve out her own path in life. Determined to make something of herself, she enrolls at the local junior college, despite uncertainty about her future. Unexpectedly, she finds herself entangled in a brief affair with her English professor, resulting in an unplanned pregnancy. Ignoring advice to the contrary, she decides to keep the baby, driven by innocence and a desire for a bigger purpose.

Now twenty years old, Margo is a single mother struggling to make ends meet, facing the threat of eviction and in urgent need of money. When her estranged father, Jinx, reappears and offers to move in and help with childcare, she reluctantly agrees. As she grapples with her financial woes, Margo comes up with a bold plan: starting an OnlyFans account as an experiment. Drawing on Jinx's wrestling wisdom, she learns how to craft a captivating persona and engage her audience, turning her venture into a surprising success.

But as Margo's online presence grows, she wonders if the fame and money are worth the sacrifices. Can she navigate the pitfalls of internet stardom while staying true to herself and providing for her child? With humor and insight, "Margo's Got Money Troubles" follows a resilient young woman as she fights to secure her place in a world that often overlooks her. It's a heartfelt exploration of storytelling, self-empowerment, and the complexities of modern life, both online and offline.

𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐬 & 𝐓𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐬:
🤣 Laugh-out-loud humor
📚 Contemporary fiction
💪🏼 Self-discovery
🤰🏼 Single mom
🤼 Ex-pro wrestler dad
💵 Financial hardship

𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐢𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝕝𝕠𝕧𝕖:
✳︎ Women’s fiction
✳︎ Quirky characters
✳︎ Multifaceted stories

𝐌𝐲 𝐓𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬:
Upon picking up this book, I was uncertain about what I would find inside, but I was pleasantly surprised by how captivating it turned out to be. It evoked a range of emotions within me and prompted me to reflect on my own beliefs and perceptions of morality and character. "Margo's Got Money Troubles" is a rollercoaster of happiness, laughter, anger, sadness, and frustration. The characters are multifaceted and flawed, making their struggles resonate deeply, yet their eventual triumphs are incredibly gratifying to witness. While the alternating third and first-person narrative style initially threw me off, it ultimately complemented the story well. Although there is a subtle romantic subplot, the heart of the tale lies in Margo's personal journey. Her resilience and determination, even in the face of constant challenges, are admirable. The story doesn't neatly tie up every loose end, but it leaves room for possibility and optimism, which I found to be its main message.

CW: parental infidelity, parental abandonment, drug addiction (on page relapse), gambling addiction, extramarital affair, financial instability and concerns, discussion/mentions of abortion

𝕄𝕪 ℝ𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕟𝕘:
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (𝟺/𝟻)

𝚃𝚑𝚊𝚗𝚔 𝚢𝚘𝚞, 𝙽𝚎𝚝𝙶𝚊𝚕𝚕𝚎𝚢 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚆𝚒𝚕𝚕𝚒𝚊𝚖 𝙼𝚘𝚛𝚛𝚘𝚠 𝚏𝚘𝚛 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝙰𝚁𝙲!

Thank you, NetGalley and William Morrow for this advanced readers copy. This book was not at all what I expected going in, but I really enjoyed it and there were definitely some laugh out loud parts. How could you not laugh out loud when the main character, Margo ends up pregnant, alone, unemployed and turns to OnlyFans after she has the baby to support herself because it has the best hours for childcare. Also, her father who used to be a pro wrestler comes to stay with her to help her take care of her baby. It is a recipe for disaster, but Margo makes it work and does it will class.

Margo's Got Money Troubles is a funny and heart-warming read following Margo who has an affair with her English professor and falls pregnant and then drops out to raise the baby. She is helped by her father (who had an affair with her mother, resulting in her being born) who is an ex-pro wrestler, and she decided to join OnlyFans to earn money.

It did feel that halfway through the book the author forgot the premise involved Margo using OnlyFans, as she spent more and more time messing around with TikTok videos instead of investing in her OnlyFans account (like making better content, investing in better equipment, doing the "Rate my D" requests to make it more successful).

I sometimes didn't really understand Margo's choices (having an affair with her professor in the first place as she wasn’t in love with him or anything (if felt more like she did it just because she can), choosing to keep the baby and then not trying to get a stable job, allowing her mum to treat her like crap).

The ending was a bit anticlimactic and the JB romance felt tacked on and very rushed (they met twice before he was quitting his job to move across the country to be with her), but overall I enjoyed the book.

[This review is based on NetGalley ARC provided in exchange for an honest, unbiased opinion]

Thank you NetGalley and William Morrow Books for an arc of Margo’s Got Money Problems by Rufi Thorpe. Margo is a young college student who has an affair with her professor and ends up pregnant. Margo’s dad is a retired pro-wrestler and he tries to help her since the professor wants nothing to do with the baby, at least at first. This book is laugh out loud funny, plus a unique story. It comes out 6/11/24. Preorder it today at your local bookstore or wherever you buy books.

Thank you for allowing me to read this book. I enjoyed the characters and their arcs, and found the plot interesting. I look forward to reading more from this author.

What a quirky yet fun read! This one is about a young woman who struggles financially as a single mom and, inspired by the world of pro-wrestling that her dad retired from, becomes a paid social media performer on a site whose initials are O.F. and it rhymes with ShmonlyFans.

• Yeah, that plot description would turn me off too, but it’s actually a lighthearted read despite some of the serious plot points (abuse of power by the guy who impregnates her, narcissistic parents, drug abuse, sex shaming).
• At times I struggled to understand the choices Margo made (having an illicit affair with someone she was only meh about, keeping the baby, forgiving her parents’ selfish behavior), but by the end I was totally on board and rooting for everything to work out.
• This is honestly not like any other book I’ve read where it’s about serious stuff yet done in a way that’s light and not shallow or reductive. I can’t explain it, but I was very much hooked reading it because I had no clue where it would go but needed to know. The characters really grew on me and I was invested!

I think this will entertain lots of people! It’s already planned as an Apple TV+ show with Nicole Kidman and Elle Fanning, so I think it’s going to be a hit. The book comes out in June and I definitely recommend it in all its weird but fun glory.