For all the single moms out there trying to make it.... this one's for you......MAYBE??? The last 25% is great!

Margo just enrolled in Fullerton College and Mark has a crush on her. But, Mark is her writing professor. After they sleep together, Margo finds out she's pregnant. Mark breaks up with her and Margo decides she's going to keep it. She had not planned on the fact that she would need to earn a living while caring for the baby. She won't ask Mark for financial help. After Bohdi is born, Margo's roommates complain about Bohdi keeping them up at night, her mom refuses to watch him, and her boss is threatening to fire Margo if she can't find proper childcare. After her roommates move out in frustration, Margo is stuck with a $3,000 rent and now is unemployed. Then, her estranged father and pro-wrestler, Jinx, shows up needing a place to live. Margo decides to allow him to live with her in exchange for childcare. To make money, Margo starts up an OnlyFans account, adapting some of Jinx's showy wrestling techniques to win fans. Before she can blink, she's making thousands. But will her internet fame come at too high a cost?

This book is not for me. I was shocked to see it described as a comedy. It isn't funny.....AT ALL. I found myself completely frustrated with Margo the entire read. She just annoyed me. And I'm not even sure I gel with this trope. The writing is irksome as it flip flops between Margo speaking in 1st and 3rd persons. Mainly though,this book goes way beyond my boundary lines for acceptable writing. Because of Margo's career choice, there is simply too much pornography language when describing each of Margo's posts and her interaction with others. There is also insertion of said language not in relation to her career choice. I just couldn't do it. I skimmed through much of the book because of this. I know. I know. I should have known based on the synopsis, what I was getting into. But I'll be honest - I didn't even know what OnlyFans was. However, there are two things I admire about Rufi Thorpe's choices: 1) the focus on Margo's challenges as a single mom and 2) the focus on the custody battle that ensues following Margo's career choice. I definitely wanted to know how it ended. Again, the last 25% is great! That's why I gave it two stars instead of one. 😬

Thank you NetGalley, Rufi Thorpe, and William Morrow for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Margo was full of the naiveté of her youth when she thought things would work out fine and rapidly faced a lot of problems. She was an easy to like MC with a good work ethic. Her unconventional solution to her money issues and how she made it work for herself and her family was written very well. I also loved the found family aspect in this one. While taking a humorous approach, the novel also touched on some interesting points on how creating a certain type of content may lead to unexpected consequences and perceptions.

Thank you so much to Willam Morrow for the ARC!

3.5/5 - This was an interesting, complicated book. Margo was a flawed character who made many decisions that I would not have, but she’s still incredibly sympathetic. The depiction of someone who loves their child but does not have any support physically, financially, or emotionally is heartbreaking and is so real for too many women.

I liked Margo’s developing relationships with Jinx and Suzie and thought they could have been explored even more. I didn’t love the inclusions of KC and Rose, however. I understand their necessity plotwise, but didn’t feel they added much or were developed all that well.

The way this book is written is so interesting and if I was more intellectual, I could write a whole essay about why the author chose to use first person in this section and third person in another. But I’m not, so I’ll just say it was interesting and I think they chose to use third person whenever Margo felt she needed to distance herself from the story.

Overall, this is a complicated story and I didn’t always find it very enjoyable, but I did find it compelling. I read this book in one day which is something that I don’t typically do anymore.

Note: I received this book free from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to William Morrow and NetGalley for the ARC! #MargotsGotMoneyTroubles #NetGalley

Incredibly quirky, entertaining and fun tale of Margot who becomes pregnant by her college freshman English teacher and decides to keep the baby when everyone encourages her to have an abortion. She rapidly realizes how naive she was when she gets fired from her waitress job and has no dependable daycare that will allow her to work. Her estranged Dad shows up and moves in when 2 of her roommates suddenly move out and they begin to bond and get to know each other. He introduces her to the marketing side of his pro wrestling career and tells her about a social media account on Onlyfans which is a risqué website. She opens an account and finds a way to monetise it using her writing talent and creativity while allowing her to spend lots of time at home with her son and until the baby Daddy finds out and sues for custody after having no interest in being a part of his life.

Margot, her parents and her roommate are all complex but extremely likeable characters and I found myself pulling for Margot as she stumbles, falls and gets back up in order to make a life for her son. Once I started reading I couldn’t put it down!

Margo, the main character in this book, has an affair with her jerky English professor because he's kind of pushing for it and she's a little curious. When she gets pregnant- at the age of 19-he breaks up with her, and she has almost no support from her unreliable single mom. Her father, who has only been nominally involved with Margo, is a retired former wrestling star who has been managing other wrestlers- and he is also a FANTASTIC character, both awe-inspiring and goofy. Margo rather thoughtlessly decides to continue the pregnancy, and when the baby arrives, she finds that she both loves him madly and has no knowledge or ability to take care of him or to support the two of them. Finally, for the first time, her father becomes an important figure in her life, and Margo starts her own business- as an OnlyFans star. And a little weird community forms around her. Margot takes an unusual, but nevertheless meaningful path to self knowledge, and to being an artist. She becomes the author of her own story. That's what this book is about, becoming the author of your own story, and it’s so satisfying.

Wow this one was unique and a totally unexpected win for me. I really didn’t have expectations going into this, I’ve never read the author before and I didn’t reread the synopsis before starting and I’m glad I didn’t honestly. I loved how quirky and fresh it was and I adored the authors writing style. There was such a great balance between Margo’s struggles as a new mom and some seriously great humor that was dark at times. Besides being a young and totally unprepared new mom Margo also had some of the most complicated and wacky relationships with basically everyone in her life. At its heart the plot is simple but somehow the author managed to infuse a world of depth and heart into the story. Margo was one of the best characters I’ve had the pleasure of reading about lately, I couldn’t help but root for her despite her sometimes beguiling naïveté, she just got to my heart. If you’re looking for something different and effortless this was excellent and will most certainly be one of my favorite reads this year.

This is going to be major. I am a huge fan of the author and this is her best work yet. Margo is a character for the ages, but all of the characters are so perfectly rendered, and delightfully complicated.

This book had a lot of good parts. For the most part, the characters were sweet, quirky and likable. I truly loved Margot and also Susie, Jinx and JB. The writing and the story were good. But Mark was a complete waste of a human and the “mother” was such a narcissist she was almost unbelievable. The scenes with Mark on his high horse over Margot’s fitness as a mother made me want to scream. And again, so insufferable they were unbelievable. I really did like the book, so I gave it 4 stars. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the free copy; I appreciate it.

Thank you NetGalley and William Marrow Publishing for this ARC of Margo’s Got Money Troubles by Rufi Thorpe.

Full disclosure sometimes I request Arcs based on titles and covers. That’s clearly what I did in this situation because I had no idea when I was getting myself into reading this book.

Margo grew up in a household with a single mother and an absent father. Based on an affair that Margo‘s mother had with her pro wrestler father when she was a Hooter’s waitress. Jinx was in and out of Margo’s life. Determined to break that cycle at 19 Margo enrolled in community college and is determined to have a life of her own. However, she begins to having affair with her English professor and perpetuates the cycle by becoming a single mother herself.

This book follows Margo‘s journey while hopping in and out of first and third person narration. Margo struggles with her mother, who has now become self righteous, her drug addicted, father who becomes her roommate, and her relationship with a man who signed away his child to avoid having to deal with a baby re-entering her life. A single mother who is broke and lost. Margo starts, an OnlyFans which becomes wildly successful and somehow also helps her discover herself. Despite feeling accomplished she may lose it all when her source of income is discovered.

Thorpe had written a book that attempts to address the struggles of a new generation while normalizing legal sex work. Overall the book wasn’t terrible but at times was a little far fetched and fantastical when it came to the actual reality of the situation and modern times. It was a quick and easy read and not awful enough for me to stop randomly requesting Arcs at first glance.

Pub Date: June 11, 2024
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I was a little worried at first that I would end up DNF'ing this book. Mostly because it's told in a mixture of first and third person narrative and it took me a bit to catch to the fact that Thorpe is using that as a tool to help the reader understand Margo better. I was also wildly frustrated by Margo's mother.

But I'm incredibly pleased that I saw this through to the end. This book is so unpredictable and charming. Thorpe doesn't try to present Margo as a perfect character that just believes she's flawed, but instead gives us this supremely normal and messed up human to relate to. I was also so very pleased with her relationship with her father. It was so nice to see.

And above everything else, this was *funny* and a hoot to read. At no point could I predict what was going to happen next. It's over the top, but it works in a way that a lot of people strive for and can never land.

A refreshing novel that dives headfirst into the chaos of life. I loved the unpredictable brilliance, and Margo’s resilience I loved Jinx and his wrestling advice. There were many laugh out loud moments and also heartfelt exploration.
Many thanks to William Morrow and to Netgalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

Margo's Got Money Troubles follows Margo, a junior college student who (like many) isn't quite sure what she wants to do with her life. She had wanted to go to a larger school, but with a mother who is struggling to get by and a mostly absent pro wrestling father (who has a "real family"), she knew that was out of the question. She somehow ended up having an affair with her English professor and wound up pregnant. Everyone tells her she is too young to have the baby, but she decides to keep him. Her professor doesn't want anything to do with the baby and she has quit college so she needs money - fast. She leaves her father a voicemail asking for help and he shows up to move in with her. She decides to try out creating an OnlyFans account and gets advice from her dad on how to create a character that people will love.

I had a hard time getting into this story, but at about 25% I started to get invested and at the end, I was once again sacrificing sleep to find out what happened (and the last two lines of the book kept me up longer thinking, but they were just perfect). Margo is incredibly naïve and there were times when I was so frustrated with her. Yet, she also had moments when I was so proud of her strength and thinking process. Margo and Jinx getting to know each other is one of my favorite parts. The blurb really doesn't do this book justice - it is so heartwarming!

I've had The Knockout Queen on my TBR list for a long time and I'm moving it up on the list after reading this.

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Margo's Got Money Troubles is a quirky and entertaining book. Margo is a college freshman and has an affair with her English professor resulting in her becoming a single mother to a baby boy. With limited childcare options she decides to start an Only Fans account, which allows her to be a stay at home mom. This was a fun read. I loved Margo and rooted for her throughout the book.
Thank you Netgalley and William Morrow for this e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you NetGalley and William Morrow for granting me access to this book in exchange for an honest review.

What a quirky, heartwarming and thought-provoking narrative that had feeling ALL the emotions!! While some may find it laugh-out-loud funny, I personally interpret it as more of a philosophical humor. It's the kind of humor that elicits laughter, prompts a pause for thought, then leads to further reflection before laughter resumes. This nuanced humor navigates through weighty issues, balancing levity with profound contemplation. The story was truly unlike anything I've read before, prompting a deep reflection on my own preconceptions and moral judgments regarding right and wrong. The author has crafted genuinely authentic and relatable characters, compelling readers to root for them as they navigate their journey towards self-improvement. Therefore, prepare yourself for exhilarating adventure that will thoroughly tug at your heart strings, leaving you emotionally shattered before piecing you back together again!!

"Margo's Got Money Troubles" follows the journey of a young woman as she grapples with the challenge of adulthood, new motherhood, and financial strain in an increasingly digital age. I won't give away any more details about the story because I believe it's best to approach it with no prior knowledge and let the experience unfold naturally as you read.

The only minor critique I had was the fluctuation between first and third person point of view. Nevertheless, I recognize the narrative reasons behind this stylistic choice. In addition, the romance serves as a minor subplot, with the main focus on Margot's personal journey.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed the book and would highly recommend it!!!

I loved this. We follow Margo, who has just had a baby after an affair with her English professor. Margo drops out of college and finds herself needing money. In comes her father, a professional wrestler, who uses his wrestling knowledge to help her create a persona for her OnlyFans account.

This was genuinely hilarious, SO heartwarming, and just a lot of fun.

Rufi Thorpe has given us another weirdly wonderful story following Margo and her new venture into motherhood.
I loved Margo and Jinx and were rooting for them the entire time. Filled with actual funny moments, and some a bit frustrating (in the way where I just want Margo to succeed!) - the writing is tender, unique and at times quite emotional.

I loved The Knockout Queen, so knew I had to give Margo’s Got Money Troubles a whirl and I’m so glad I did! Cannot wait for the A24 adaptation of this.

This book was basically the complete opposite from what I was expecting. It was incredibly funny and endearing. I loved every element of this book. There were some real and deep moments that I was not expecting. Margo is relatable and honestly I saw a lot of myself in her. There were times I wanted to just reach across the page and give her a hug because oh boy, did she need it or what? Overall, definitely not a book for everyone but I really enjoyed it!

A poignant story on the lengths a mother will go to in order to give her child the best life possible.

I was absolutely blown away with Rufi Thorpe's newest novel, "Margo's Got Money Troubles". It seems that everything that can go wrong for Margo will. The beginning of the books is tough to get trough emotionally as we follow Margo along on her quest to raise her baby as best she can with absolutely NO help from the father, family, friends. When her father comes in to save the day, I let out a sigh of relief!

Margo's story is one that will allow you to "walk a mile in her shoes" and help you empathize with someone who is willing to do anything to take care of their child. While it is easy for us to pass judgement on what way one earns a living or how they choose to live their life, at the end of the day, we learn Margo (and I"m sure many other people) are doing whatever it takes to get by in this crazy and tough world.

BRAVA to Rufi Thorpe for another fantastic book that will no doubt change the way you look at others.

I LOVED this book! It was filled with lovable, quickly characters, as well as an odd story that I could not read fast enough. The Only Fans storyline was fascinating, but I was rooting for Margo throughout the whole story. Loved the LA setting. This will be a HIT this summer, I just know! My favorite by this author!

Margo’s Got Money Troubles is one of my favorite reads of 2024 and I immediately ordered all of Rufi Thorpe’s backlist upon finishing. Hilarious, heartwarming, and weird. The perfect trifecta. If you like quirky stories with characters you will fall in love with and never forget, you need to read this one.