I enjoyed Joan Liang’s journey from a stifled marriage in Taiwan to building a life in California, it is full of sharp turns, dry wit, and emotional depth.

This novel was not what I expected it to be, but not necessarily in a bad way. I kind of expected a cozy novel based on the titled and description, but instead it was more a literary fiction novel. Not bad, but as a mood reader it caught me off guard.
Still, I enjoyed reading it. I haven not read any novel by this author before but I'll definitely check out the other ones she wrote based off how much I enjoyed this one.

The Satisfaction Cafe
By Kathy Wang
Release Date: 7.1.2025

Thank you @Scribnerbooks for an e-ARC of The Satisfaction Cafe!

We are following our main character, Joan, from shortly after she moved from Taiwan to California to all of her adulthood. We see her struggles in navigating a new country, new relationships, while also being new to adulthood.

I was so happy to have had a book friend recommend this one to me. All I said was to give me all the found family and what a wonderful story of found family it was. This is my first Kathy Wang.

Generally speaking, I feel as though I don't tend to prefer slow character driven novels, but this one worked for me. I found myself engaged with the characters lives throughout. I didn't see myself in these characters (from a different culture, different class status) but again, I was in it with these characters. It goes to show that you don't always have to see yourself in a novel to enjoy it.

I wanted more interactions in the cafe and would have liked the introduction of that space earlier on in the novel.

Pick this one up if you enjoy stories about found family, family drama, starting over later in life, and overcoming life's obstacles.

Everyone has a story to share and sometimes it just takes a dream cafe, some fun colored tables and a cup of tea to hear them.

Unfortunately, I found the book quite disappointing. The story felt boring and seemed to go nowhere, with a pacing that was painfully slow throughout. Despite following Joan Liang's life from Taiwan to California and her complex relationships, I struggled to connect or care about the characters. The narrative style was very matter-of-fact, which, instead of drawing me in, made even the most emotional moments feel flat and unengaging. Additionally, I felt the author missed an opportunity to delve deeper into the intriguing concept of the Satisfaction Café itself and the lives of the people who visit it. Overall, the book did not hold my interest and left me feeling unsatisfied.

I have mixed feelings. I really loved the premise of The Satisfaction Café. The first half was captivating but the second half fell a little flat. Overall an ok read

Have I reached my women's function reading stage in life? I don't know, but I did enjoy this story much more than I expected.

Joan's life takes turns she never would have expected. She ends up immigrating to America from Taiwan. She marries young but quickly divorces when she discovers her husband is not who she expected.

Joan then by chance meets an older wealthy man who she marries and has children with. From there we follow Joan's life as a mother and eventual widow and business owner.

This story was well paced and followed Joan throughout her adult life.

The Satisfaction Café by Kathy Wang is a thoughtful, character‑driven novel that follows Joan Liang’s life journey—from a studious Taiwanese grad student at Stanford in the ’70s, through two marriages (one ending abruptly with a shocking “caliper stabbing”), to her later years as a mom and café owner in California

A beautifully written character driven novel about Joan, who emigrated from Taiwan for grad school at Stanford. Bill came as a surprise but their marriage underpins much of her story. A much older man, he introduces Joan to a different lifestyle. Joan, generous to a fault, adopts her niece Lee when Bill's youngest sister abandons the child, and the two of them raise Lee and their son Jamie, whose life takes an unexpected turn later. Bill's first family, especially his son Theo, hovers over them and is, well, the catalyst for a major change in Joan's life when Bill dies. Various characters, including Theo and Nelson, the family attorney, offer third person insight and this moves back and forth a bit to tell Joan's back story. It's the cafe, however, where Joan shines. She imagined it and brought it to life as a place for people to just sit and either talk or listen to another person-for companionship. Joan felt very real to me and that's the magic of Wang's work. Her writing is very matter of fact, which matches Joan's approach to life and her storytelling is gorgeous. Thanks to the publisher for the ARC. A terrific read about an indomitable woman.

Loved the premise of this book. Who wouldn't like to find a cafe where you can come and find someone to listen to you and enjoy some good food. I was less taken with some of the family dynamics and dysfunction that occurred outside of the cafe concept. I was expecting a little bit more. I will keep an eye out for other books by this author. For me, her books almost satisfy, but not quite.

3.5 Stars

First of all- love the colorful cover! The book begins with the main character Joan who was born in China, but is now a college student at Stanford in California. The beginning of the book "popped" for me with a first marriage and a riveting incident that took place in a video store. The rest of the book settled in for a "quiet read" where Joan's life pleasantly unfolded into a second marriage with a much older man of means, living in a lovely, expansive home. It wasn't until much later in the book that the so called "Satisfaction Cafe" appeared. I thought this business concept was financially untenable; the idea of hiring hosts that could sit and have conversations with you while you had a slice of lemon cake. It's a cute and therapeutic idea, but the black and white way I look at things made me cynical that such a business could prosper. Call me "devil's advocate", but I think it would have been very interesting to explore what was happening during the video store incident that exploded at the beginning of the book. This was an OK read that went a little off the rails at the end.

Thank you to the publisher Scribner for providing an advance reader copy via NetGalley.

In 1973, Joan Liang left Taiwan with the hope of a more fulfilling life in the United States. She moved to Palo Alto, California, and attended Stanford University. By 1975, she is married to fellow Chinese student Milton Liu, but she quickly realizes this was a huge mistake and moves on. She soon meets and marries Bill Lauder, a wealthy, older white man, and moves into his huge home, Falling House. She is Bill's fourth wife. While she loves Bill, she must adjust to his life, which includes his siblings, grown children, and busy social life, where she is the only Asian spouse. Motherhood follows as Joan dreams of running a café. Life continues, with its ups and downs. When Joan eventually opens the Satisfaction Café, she finds satisfaction of her own by creating a unique experience where people can truly connect.

Kathy Wang's The Satisfaction Café is Joan's search for meaning in her life. There are many interesting characters in this quiet book. They are all seeking fulfillment, with varied success. Life is bittersweet for us all. There's no getting around it. I enjoyed Joan's journey.

And what a beautiful cover!

4.25 stars.

I thought this novel was very well-written and provided a nuanced portrait of a woman over her lifetime. I liked the asides with the commentary about her situation from different perspectives (like Bill's children) and I thought Joan grew significantly over the course of the novel.

The first half of the book was just okay, but it doesn’t really get into the actual plot until around 75% in. By then, I found it hard to stay interested. The pacing felt off, and unfortunately, the ending really didn’t work for me. Disappointed overall, though the premise had potential.

I chose to read The Satisfaction Cafe because it was compared to being similar to Hello. Beautiful & Pineapple Street. It actually made me think of The Measure, but without the red strings. The book spans several decades from before Joan gives birth to Jamie all the way through her life in middle aged. The book shows how "time is truly unstoppable." The character development is fantastic. The book will make excellent dialogue and discussion for book clubs. Among the food for thought are the following ideas:

"Happiness was only a concept. A clever slippery creature that slips through your hands right at the moment when you think you've finally caught it."

Joan "understood a person couldn't have everything they wanted without trade-offs.."

Most people are more male than the opportunities they were presented with.

I found the book very absorbing and will def read more books by this talented author.

An interesting but excruciatingly slow book to reach the satisfaction opportunity for the heroine. I enjoyed reading about the various cultures and California life during the era. Please see reviews as other readers thoroughly enjoyed this book.

Thanks to NetGalley and Scribner for the opportunity to read this ARC.

“Sometimes we cry and have no idea why.”

I tend to be quick to write a review once I’ve finished a book but after finishing The Satisfaction Cafe I wanted to sit with my thoughts for a bit. Kathy Wang crafted a story that has me reflecting on my own life, the people in it and whether or not I’m satisfied.

“…happiness was only a concept, anyways: a clever, slippery creature that slips through your hands right at the moment when you think you’ve finally caught it.”

This is a story about Joan and her life she has created after moving to California from Taiwan. Her marriages, in-laws, step children and her own children all play a major role in her life at times joyful and others devastating. She poses the questions about satisfaction and can anyone feel truly satisfied.

“Sometimes there were people like this who might be a part of your life, who you wished could be a bigger part-but it wasn't meant to be, and you had only that limited share.”

I’m in a bit of awww how I journeyed through Joan’s life in 352 pages. I felt connected to not only her but other characters… Lee, Ellison, Misty, Nelson… just to name a few. I think it’s important to note… Yes the cover is stunning and bright, bold and beautiful… but this story is heartbreak with redemption written all over it. There is a Part… I believe it was Part 2… I sat up in bed and would not go to sleep til I reached Part 3. A bit of a pager turner. Yet quiet and reflective. This would make for a wonderful Bookclub pick. A book that feels inspiring and begging to be discussed.

Thank you Scribner
Releases 7/1

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The Satisfaction Cafe is a quiet and deep book that will stick with the reader for days and weeks. Joan and the life she's built for herself and her family is powerful and heartbreaking all at the same time, and I found myself wanting to walk into the doors of the Satisfaction Cafe.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read and review this book.

I loved this - a beautiful story following the life of an ordinary woman as she moves into rebelling from the life she was born into as an immigrant from Taiwan, to Stanford for grad school, to an early failed marriage to another Taiwanese grad student, to being the second wife of a wealthy Silicon Valley CEO, always being a wife and a mother. There’s the exterior life of in the facts on paper - this was a beautiful exploration of the inner life of a woman developing over her lifetime into a beautiful life. Beautiful and sad - bittersweet.

From the title and the synopsis, I expected Kathy Wang's The Satisfaction Cafe to be about just that--a café where patrons can sit down, enjoy some sweets or Chinese dishes, and engage their choice of disparate hosts in a satisfying conversation. I found that premise fascinating, but unfortunately, it didn't come to fruition until the book was about 70% complete.

Mostly the story is a character study of Joan, who moves from Taiwan to California to attend grad school at Stanford. She has a brief first marriage, then a much longer one with a much older man, has a son and adopts a daughter. Her story is told in third-person narrative in a matter-of-fact style, and the same is true for her children and other characters. Even the moments that should be the most emotional didn't elicit any emotion from me.

I think the author missed an opportunity to expand on the Satisfaction Cafe idea and explore the lives and desires of the panoply of subordinate characters who seek fulfillment there. Sadly, this book just wasn't for me.

My thanks to Scribner and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and provide an honest review of this book.

very well written story that is quietly moving and very realistic. felt like an actual life. 5 stars. tysm for the arc.