diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index a694366..9293f75 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -1,3 +1,9 @@
+## Unreleased
+
+#### Feature
+
+* add support for a read hook ([#63](https://github.com/ExpediaGroup/service-client/pull/63))
+
 ## [3.1.0](https://github.com/expediagroup/service-client/compare/v3.0.1...v3.1.0) (2021-09-09)
 
 #### Feature
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index d1185b5..610f06e 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -191,7 +191,7 @@ Service-Client plugins provide the ability to hook into different spots of a req
 Plugins are registered with `ServiceClient.mergeConfig({plugins: []})` or `ServiceClient.use([])` and affect all Service-Client instances created thereafter.
 
 ### Overview
-A plugin exports a function which, when executed, returns an object containing a set of hook functions to be ran during a request's lifecycle. See all available hooks [below](#available-plugins).
+A plugin exports a function which, when executed, returns an object containing a set of hook functions to be run during a request's lifecycle. See all available hooks [below](#available-plugins).
 
 Example:
 ```js
@@ -322,7 +322,7 @@ async function plugin({client, context, plugins}) {
          * This hook is special. The only value that should be returned here is
          * a response object. This is helpful for authentication plugins that
          * want to retry a request if an invalid response was received. A request
-         * made within this hook could return it's response object here.
+         * made within this hook could return its response object here.
          *
          * There's a catch however. Since response objects from multiple hooks
          * cannot be merged, only the first response object will be taken. All
@@ -335,6 +335,24 @@ async function plugin({client, context, plugins}) {
 
         },
 
+        /**
+         * This hook is special. This hook behaves just like response but can be used to 
+         * validate data after being read. The only value that should be returned here is
+         * a response object. This is helpful for authentication plugins that
+         * want to retry a request if an invalid response was received. A request
+         * made within this hook could return its response object here.
+         *
+         * There's a catch however. Since response objects from multiple hooks
+         * cannot be merged, only the first response object will be taken. All
+         * other returned responses are discarded.
+         *
+         * @param {object} data - data provided to the hook on every request
+         * @param {object} data.response - the response received from Wreck after being read
+         */
+        async read(data) {
+
+        },
+
         /**
          * @param {object} data - data provided to the hook on every request
          * @param {Error} data.error - the error object resulting from timeouts, read errors, etc
diff --git a/lib/client.js b/lib/client.js
index c87502b..ab8e4cc 100644
--- a/lib/client.js
+++ b/lib/client.js
@@ -163,6 +163,11 @@ class ServiceClient {
         await hooks.error({ context, clientId, requestId, ts, servicename, operation, error })
       }
     }
+    if (hooks.read) {
+      reqHooks.read = async (id, response, ts = Date.now()) => {
+        return hooks.read({ context, clientId, requestId, ts, servicename, operation, response })
+      }
+    }
 
     const doRequest = async function () {
       if (self._circuitState.open) {
diff --git a/lib/hooks.js b/lib/hooks.js
index 7e5a772..43df2ef 100644
--- a/lib/hooks.js
+++ b/lib/hooks.js
@@ -115,13 +115,20 @@ async function init (options) {
 
         return finalData
       } else
-
       // for the `response` hook, return the first non-falsy value
       if (hookName === 'response') {
         const response = results.find((result) => result)
 
         debug('%s(): first result: %j', hookName, response)
 
+        return response
+      } else
+      // for the `read` hook, return the first non-falsy value
+      if (hookName === 'read') {
+        const response = results.find((result) => result)
+
+        debug('%s(): first result: %j', hookName, response)
+
         return response
       }
     }
diff --git a/lib/http/request.js b/lib/http/request.js
index 646334c..64e0de6 100644
--- a/lib/http/request.js
+++ b/lib/http/request.js
@@ -133,7 +133,12 @@ const makeRequest = async function (method, path, options, hooks) {
       return response
     }
 
-    response.payload = await Read(response, options.readOptions)
+    if (response.payload === undefined) {
+      response.payload = await Read(response, options.readOptions)
+      if (hooks.read) {
+        response = await hooks.read(options.id, response) || response
+      }
+    }
 
     debug('makeRequest(): payload read')
     oncomplete()
diff --git a/test/unit/hooks/standalone.test.js b/test/unit/hooks/standalone.test.js
index ccd7091..ca1ed63 100644
--- a/test/unit/hooks/standalone.test.js
+++ b/test/unit/hooks/standalone.test.js
@@ -43,7 +43,8 @@ describe('Using ServiceClient in a standalone context', () => {
       response: suite.sandbox.spy(),
       error: suite.sandbox.spy(),
       stats: suite.sandbox.spy(),
-      end: suite.sandbox.spy()
+      end: suite.sandbox.spy(),
+      read: suite.sandbox.spy()
     }
     ServiceClient.use(() => {
       return spies
@@ -65,8 +66,9 @@ describe('Using ServiceClient in a standalone context', () => {
     Sinon.assert.notCalled(spies.error) // no error for this test
     Sinon.assert.calledOnce(spies.stats)
     Sinon.assert.calledOnce(spies.end)
+    Sinon.assert.calledOnce(spies.read)
 
-    Sinon.assert.callOrder(spies.request, spies.init, spies.socket, spies.response, spies.stats, spies.end)
+    Sinon.assert.callOrder(spies.request, spies.init, spies.socket, spies.response, spies.read, spies.stats, spies.end)
   })
 
   it('should call hooks (error thrown in plugin initialization)', async function () {