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.

A very funny, very relatable collection of short essays centered around the theme of women being conditioned to be "helpful." So many of us are the first to step up and help, even when it really is not such a great idea to do so. These essays explore the how, what, and why of all that conditioning in a way that is fun and nonjudgmental. I truly look forward to recommending this title.

I'm definitely eager to share this book with my library patrons and help them connect with something meaningful. Wilson's collection of essays brilliantly addresses the struggle of trying to be everything to everyone and offers valuable insights on recovery. I found many of Wilson’s experiences relatable and am excited for my library patrons to enjoy and benefit from this thoughtful read.

Wasn't a book I was able to get into, despite the appealling premise. Thank you for the Advance Review Copy, Netgalley.

A hilarious and relatable book for anyone who is a people pleaser! The author is constantly putting others before herself, and she struggles as a result. Even when she does ask for help, she is given advice instead. The essays were definitely funny, and quick and easy reads.

I wanted to love Happy to Help, the concept of a book about a People Pleaser really spoke to me. There were some great adventures told in the beginning of the book, but the second half fell flat to me. The last few chapters of each child getting extremely sick and undiagnosable while relatable just didn't resonate by the third time. It felt as if since there were medical things with each child that each needed to be put in there which made reading it feel as if it was out of order. The beginning was great, as women can relate on fixing the household duties, sitting quietly as to not cause a stir etc, but toward the end it felt a bit like filling space instead of the "adventures". Concept is great, but the book as a whole felt a bit jumbled. Wanted to love it so much.

I really enjoyed this book as a people pleaser myself. It was on-point while also being lighthearted. There were so many times I was laughing out loud and that is where the magic truly exists. I’m looking forward to discussing it on my podcast, KPL Lit Talks, in the near future and will definitely be purchasing it for my library. Great conversation starters. I appreciate the advanced readers copy.

This book was quite triggering for me, but it's been an important part of my journey to heal from being a people pleaser and learning to prioritize my own needs.

Usually, I would have finished reading this book in a week at most, but I had to take my time with it. I found myself pausing frequently whenever I felt overwhelmed by the story.

I would recommend this book to anyone who is on a journey to recover from being a people pleaser.

As a member of the always happy to help club I completely related to this book of essays.At times hilarious it also was so true so well written and gave me a lot to think about.#netgalley #zibbybooks

I immediately added this book to my cart because, of course, I want to help all my fellow people by pleasing family and friends! Wilson did an excellent job with this collection of essays about the desire to be everything to everyone all the time and how to recover from it. I related to many of the situations in which Wilson describes. Thanks to Zibby Books and NetGalley for the ARC. Five stars.