Eldest daughter, reporting for duty.
I resonated with so much of this book and found it laugh out loud enjoyable. I am already passing the recommendation on to my fellow recovering people pleasers.

This is why I read; to find books I connect deeply with like this one. This is an essay collection about how women, in the whole, are expected to be “happy to help” and to be people pleasers and perfectionists and to have everything under control. Amy examines this phenomenon and makes some very astute observations and also recounts her own attempts to break free of some of these expectations. The essays are incredibly thoughtful , candid and, at times, humourous. I did not want this book to end.

Oh, how I relate to Amy Wilson! This was exactly the book I needed to kick off the new year and hopefully the beginning to learning how to set boundaries and say no. Funny stories, endearing wisdom - this one has it all and I found myself laughing and nodding in agreement throughout.

Thanks to Zibby books for the copy to review.

Thank you to the author, Zibby Books and NetGalley, for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. My apologies for the delay in posting a review, I had a lot going on over the last month.

This collection of essays was an honest and at times unsettling - in a good way - look inside the author's life, experiences, thoughts and learning process in trying to overcome what German speakers call "helper syndrome". I was not familiar with the author before reading this book, but found her at times very funny, and at times poignant musings thought-provoking and in some things helpful for my own "helper syndrome".

I enjoyed the essays in this book that were focused on being a people pleaser and feeling compelled to have to do it all. The first few made me so hopeful, but much of the book didn’t resonate as I’d hoped. There was way more about childhood illnesses, parenting, wellness and college than I expected.

Thank you to Netgalley and Zibby Publishing for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I've never listened to the author's podcast, and didn't realize she was an actor. I enjoyed these essays, which were relatable and humorous. I think some of the essays were not directly related to the 'people=pleasing' topic, but they were still fun to read.

I am the eldest daughter of my siblings, and I was entrusted with watching them while my parents worked. I am a people pleaser to a fault and love to help others, even to the detriment of myself. This book sounded right up my alley, so I dove right in.

While the collection of essays felt relatable at times, I struggled to truly engage with the book and found myself skimming to get to the point of each passage. I truly wanted to love this book, and maybe I will at another point in time, but right now I had to DNF. I hope to circle back again and give this another try, and am encouraged that others are finding this book so helpful.

Thank you to Amy Wilson, Zibby Books and NetGalley for an advance digital copy of the book for an honest review.

The essays are not at all concise or on theme? The beginning was relatable and definitely reflected being a people pleaser but then it sort of devolved into so many other topics. I found myself speed reading to try and understand what the point was until I realized I should just DNF. A collection that is not focused on being a people pleaser or the authors road to moving past that, which is what I went in expecting. Lots of reflections and rambling thoughts on adolescence, faith, and physical health that often left me confused, bored, or rolling my eyes.

Before reading HAPPY TO HELP by Amy Wilson, I was not familiar with her smart, quirky wisdom, but quickly fell under the spell of a compulsively readable writer. Through well-crafted, relatable stories from her past and pondering deep thinking of others and her studies,, Wilson lays bare familiar and yet treacherous territory for those of us who volunteer and are ready to help even when it is possibly not in anyone's best interests. I dipped into chapters unsure of where I would wind up afterwards and enjoyed the journey. I received a copy of this book and these thoughts are my own, unbiased opinions.

This book was like a beacon of light beaming straight to my heart. From the very first page, Amy saw me. She got me. She validated me. She reached out to me. I felt like I had a new best friend who knew my innermost thoughts and feelings AND the way my frenzied days usually go. I laughed, I cried, I imagined. I bet many other readers will find themselves on these pages and while it isn't a how-to book, it's a lovely call to action. Read this one.

I have no idea why so much of this book was about physical health, faith, and college admissions and not her overcoming being a people pleaser or even really being one at all. There were a couple great moments that were super relatable but then there were more times where I just rolled my eyes and felt no pity at all

“I am a work in progress. I am the better part.”

Thank you Zibby Publishing for the gifted ARC through NetGalley and ALC through Libro.fm.

As a people pleaser who is working hard on the ability to say “no”, I felt so seen reading this book. I could relate to many of the essays Amy Wilson wrote from things I believed about myself in childhood to situations I find myself in as a wife, mom, and in my job.

If you read and loved Everyone But Myself, you will love this one too.

Rating:
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

Read if you like:
Internal thoughts of a people pleaser
Relatable essays
Everyone But Myself

𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆, 𝗶𝘁'𝘀 𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗲...⠀
𝗜𝘁'𝘀 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗴𝗼𝗼𝗱... ⠀
𝗜'𝗹𝗹 𝗴𝗲𝘁 𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁...⠀
𝗡𝗼 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀... ⠀
𝗛𝗮𝗽𝗽𝘆 𝘁𝗼 𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗽...⠀

How many times have you said or emailed these exact words? ⠀
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It was last September when I learned that @amywlsn's (co-host of the Webby-honored podcast 𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘍𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘩 𝘏𝘦𝘭𝘭) book 𝗛𝗮𝗽𝗽𝘆 𝗧𝗼 𝗛𝗲𝗹𝗽 would be released in January. At the time I wasn’t expecting it to be my first read of 2025, but I’m sure am glad it was!⠀
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As a voracious reader, there is no greater feeling for me than when an author makes me feel so seen. This book feels like @amywlsn was speaking solely to me and as though she’s been my friend for the past six months. You see, I've recently taken on a side project in my career that has tested me and although I am thankful for the great growth this stretch assignment has provided me, it has also taught me how people pleasers are perceived and the importance of boundaries in the workplace. You can imagine when I learned @zibbypublishing was helping this book of essays, 𝗛𝗮𝗽𝗽𝘆 𝗧𝗼 𝗛𝗲𝗹𝗽 - 𝗔𝗱𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗮 𝗣𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗣𝗹𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗲𝗿, I jumped for joy. ⠀
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This is honestly a book every woman or mother should read. I wish my mother was still alive to read this book. I found it to be insightful, yet funny; honest, yet genuine; and ultimately relatable beyond measure.⠀
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As a Type A personality, these essays showed me another way to harness my energy and strength to position myself for better mental health and appreciation. I simply couldn’t put this book down and know I will refer to it and reread it multiple times this year. ⠀
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Thank you @zibbypublishing, @netgalley, and @amywlsn for the best reading start of 2025.

I didn't get through much of this. I loved the premise, which seemed extremely relatable and funny, but I found the initial intro to be slow and it just didn't grab me. The book is getting excellent reviews, so it might have just been a case of right book, wrong time.

Thank you to Netgalley and Zibby Books for the advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

If ever there was a relatable book for me, this is it! The author writes with candor and humor -- a quick and easy read (which, as they say, likely means it was not quick nor easy to write). Thanks to @zibbybooks, Amy Wilson, and NetGalley for the advanced copy and the opportunity to share my thoughts.

I laughed out loud and commiserated with Amy through this novel of what it’s like to be a woman who always wants to please others. Some of her stories really resonated with me as a Gen X’er who feels like life sometimes is moving at warp speed as children grow up, parents age, and goals change. It’s a strange time of life, and I felt better reading her words so similar to my own. Highly recommend!

Come for the wisdom, stay for the stories. Wilson - mother, daughter, sister, wife, actor, writer - shares some of her most difficult times to illuminate the syndrome of being someone who always says yes. Tracing her need to please back to birth order in a busy house of six kids, through to middle school, into college (with a boyfriend trying to decide between her and a competitor) and then her early adult life (when she embarked on a career on stage and TV), Wilson demonstrates with honesty and alacrity what happens when you lose, forget or can't find your boundaries. From the outside looking in, I gather Wilson is quite successful and thus her wisdom is valuable and well respected. I appreciated that within her breezy and advice-oriented tone, she shares some very dark times, including children's illnesses and when her family was felled by Covid early in the pandemic. Wilson made me laugh out loud (who among us has not tried to have a conversation with family about sharing the domestic load?) and cry softly when she described her moments of transition and pain. Highly recommend. Thank you to Zibby Publishing and NetGalley for the ARC.

Overall, a strong like, not love, but I connected deeply with many themes and emotional nuances of the essays; wished some of the essays had changed up themes a bit or offered a little more structure/concluding insights.

Happy to Help is a relatable and humorous exploration of the ways women are conditioned to prioritize others, often at their own expense. The author's accessible and candid voice shines, making the essays engaging and nonjudgmental. While the collection resonates deeply with those grappling with people-pleasing tendencies, the structure felt uneven at times, with some essays lacking a strong conclusion or feeling repetitive. Still, the book provides valuable insights and relatable moments that many readers will appreciate. It’s a thoughtful read for anyone on a journey of self-discovery, and I look forward to seeing what the author creates next.

Loved the premise of this book and I loved the author's accessible, honest, and humorous voice. With that said, I didn't connect with the collection of essays overall the way I had hoped. Some felt too long and winding, others didn't conclude with a punch or new insight the way I prefer, but that's just me. I'm excited to see what the author does next and will definitely will keep her on my radar!

I think this is a good and important book especially the message but it just didn’t hit like I thought it would but I can see this being a really good book for other people.