Reviews & Affirmations
“…Perhaps the best message of this fictional tale is that only in a true relationship marked by forgiveness, acceptance and grace do men and women heal and mend inwardly. Sadly, as authors Bill Thrall, Bruce McNicol and John Lynch propose, most churches have failed to be the safe haven individuals long for and so desperately need. As in THE SHACK, readers will discover that God’s love looks quite different from that of most humans’ definition of it. Regardless of one’s faith affiliation, BO’S CAFE is sure to ring true with its overriding message of unconditional love offered by a compassionate God to his flawed and erring children.”
By Michele, see her entire review here
“Opened the eyes of my heart a little more enabling me to see the subtle ways everyday things take control of me and keep me from loving others as I should because ME is too busy.”
By G. Martin, see his review here
“I read this title first, and I will say I devoured it. Quickly. It was a good read and a much needed read. In these troubled times, words that encourage and inspire are sorely needed. We all struggle with something, and sometimes it’s difficult to find the perspective we need to sort through it all, Bo’s Cafe provides the words in that way, that special way that makes sense of it all. If only there was a Bo’s Cafe in my neighborhood! No spoilers here, just my recommendation.”
See this entire review here
“How does one articulate the essence of a real grace life walking with God and real grace life within His community? The authors through this engaging novel do so in a profound way. Be careful. You may find yourself longing for a Grace Community where you can be real, loved, and accepted. Simply put, Bo’s Café provides a vision, a strategic picture of how life is meant to be for the Jesus’ follower.
I found it drawing me in to face my own issues and need to trust God and others with myself. In a way, it made me feel homesick. I recommend Bo’s Café for those who hunger for an authentic relationship with God and His people free from shame and guilt.
Bo’s Café presents a framework where messed up people, like you and me, can discover in a real way how to be honest, loved, and accepted. It points to the reality we are destined to fulfill.
P.S. Do not start reading this book at night if you have to get up early the next morning. 
”
By Lance, see his entire review here
“…Windblown Media published THE SHACK, which turned into a publishing phenomenon, and this is their follow-up inspirational book, designed to encourage and challenge readers who struggle with problems in their personal life.
It is a message that we can all profit from. It teaches you to give, receive, and to trust, opening yourself up to self-realization, and helping you to experience God’s grace.”
By Grandma Bev, see this entire review here
“Grace cannot be understood by reading its definition in a dictionary. To understand grace, it takes a story. Bo’s Cafe is such a story. It will arouse your thirst for intimacy, freedom and life far beyond that for which most of us have settled. Indeed, you haven’t read a story like this one.”
By T. Albinson (MN)
See this review here
“… We need Bo’s Cafes in every city in the world…The healing that comes with knowing Grace as a Person is immense. Bo’s Cafe reminds me of how we should be able to confide our shortcomings to those who love us and be loved more for it, instead of less. Excellent read, especially for those who are hurting and don’t know where to turn.”
By S. Marks
See this entire review here
“I turned “40″ two weeks ago! As a present, my wife sent me on a couple of days of excursion to a cabin in the mountains! I took “Bo’s Cafe” with me, and read it in two days! I couldn’t put it down! So relevant to the space where I had lived much of my life! I sort of view my first 39 years as “dress rehearsal” for manhood! This amazing book put such language to what I had experienced for years during my “rehearsal” time. I strongly recommend this book for guys in their 30’s about to enter their 40’s! It’s a must read for this beautiful transitional season of life. Oh yeah, and if you’re married or thinking seriously about getting married, it’s also a MUST READ for your spouse or fiance’ or girlfriend, whatever the case! Kudos to the incredible authors! Bo’s Cafe “wrecked” me in a beautiful way! Enjoy the read, and enjoy the life!”
By D. Glenn (Franklin, TN)
See this review here
“A lot of people have probably been where the characters in this book have been, without a support group or unwilling to be part of a support group. We probably all need a “Bo’s Cafe” place where we can find our true selves…”
By J. McMurry (Arkansas)
See this entire review here
“Ace Hardware might be the place of the “helpful hardware man” but grace is the place of the life-giving soulcare Man. I’ve often wondered what it would have been like to follow Jesus around when he was here on earth. To listen to his words of care and forgiveness, of acceptance and love. To watch Him touch the eyes that were blind but now see, to give a father back his daughter a widow her son. What must have it been like to watch him that day in the town square writing in the sand beside a half clothed broken and distraught woman then speaking restorative truth to her in love as her accusers leave to find another to accuse.
If you want to know, visit Bo’s Cafe, take a ride in that Buick Electra, sit with Andy and listen to his words of grace and truth spoken in love. If you like your life the way it is now, don’t dare pick up this book for you will never be satisfied again with anything but the safe place called “grace”.
By J. Hislop (Portland, OR)
See this review here
“I loved this book. I was hooked from the first page. I love how real the characters in Bo’s Cafe are. It was a very believable story line and I would definitely recommend this book to both men and women. Bo’s Cafe is filled with amazing spiritual truths and a hearty dose of reality. Excellent.”
By Tara (Canada)
See this review here
“…Bo’s Cafe takes on the subject of grace in a fresh, new way!
This book, though fiction, showed the realness of people. We can’t move forward until we let go of the past. We have to let go of our control (or in the case of the characters in Bo’s Cafe, what we think we can control), our anger and our bitterness. Only than can we move forward.
Although an easy to read, well-written book, it is deep and I am still processing through what I have read in Bo’s Cafe. There are not many books that impact me like this…”
See this entire review here
“WOW! That’s my first thought about “Bo’s Cafe”…This is a story of hope and redemption from the brink of loss and despair. Where would you go if you were about to lose it all? Life feels like it is about to come crashing completely down to Steven Kerner. So, he stops for a drink that he doesn’t drink and meets a complete stranger who tells him more about himself than he ever wanted to know.
… This book is like a breath of fresh air. It will make you laugh, make you think, make you cry, and make you wonder why you’ve taken so long to have an intimate relationship with Jesus.”
By Stacey click here
“I’m a fan of Cajun food and west coast cafe’s, and of finding a group of people who can ask questions, find out each other’s junk, and still love and process and grow in what’s important in life. Those things are prominent in BO’S CAFE’, a new novel from John Lynch, Bill Thrall, and Bruce McNicol (copyright 2009). Very much THE SHACK-esque, it doesn’t have the harsh violent undercurrents from the book, nor the dreamlike fantasy feel, and I think that’s what makes this book a bit more approachable, a bit more readable.
…For me, this book has been like a good cup of coffee. I’ve done that before, reviewing a book and thinking of it in context of coffee and coffeeshops and tables and conversations. While I’m not a fan of coffee with cajun cooking, I will say that these are the kinds of chats that bring about change, and the aromas of friendship and good food go far in giving these changes a chance to stick and to make a real difference in our lives.”
By Rick
See Rick’s entire review here
“It is rare that I read a book, finish it and think “I know a lot of people that could benefit by reading this.” Bo’s Cafe was such a book…”
By Tracee click here
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“I truly enjoyed this ride. You will too. Trust me. Real life. Real people. Rugged honesty. Wrenching reality.A mosaic of granting permission to take ourselves less seriously, to confront the challenge of facing ourselves through the eyes of others, the courage to seek or stumble into relationships where the grace of God can work the miracle of transforming us into what we might be — it’s all here in Bo’s Café – Will Grace Finally Win? …Ride with these guys. There should be warning label on the jacket of this book: Read with Sunglasses On. You’ll need them to peer into the timeless truths this story reveals in a new, creative, relevant light.” |
By William Dahl “On Porpoise” (Redmond, OR)
See William’s entire review here
“I thoroughly enjoyed reading Bo’s Cafe and have already had my husband start reading it. I do believe many people walk around with a persona of who they want to be, or be perceived as, rather than being who they are. So many fear rejection and so avoid opening themselves up to others. Defense mechanisms can be put into place at an early age and by the time one realises they are there, it takes time, love, courage and a safe environment to let these defenses down. I know a lot of “Stevens” in the world and hope to discover more “Andys”. I believe every reader will take something different from this book and be positively influenced from what the reader takes away from Bo’s Cafe.”
See this review here
“After reading the last page of this book I’m speechless, pondering all that I had read. Where do I begin to tell you the hope this book released in my heart, mind and emotions. The thing I LOVE about Christian Fiction is the fact that it can take you places you’d never go on your own. It can help you explain things that are just unexplainable, and put you in situations where you can see GRACE and LOVE in a very real way…
Bo’s Café helps me identify some of the lies that I believed about myself, some of the old tapes I had playing in my head until Jesus set me free. Andy takes it a little deeper in a very simple but profound way. It think this is a must read for everyone. I know that I’m going to be reading this book again and again, giving it out to my family and friends.”
By Nora click here
“I found this book really good in the sense that it took me further along the journey of understanding that God likes me for who I am, not for what I do or don’t do…
The writers wrote this to help others along the journey of discovering ‘the life and freedom in Christ that living in His grace affords us.” I think that this parable does that. It’s simple, the action is mostly in the conversation, but it works. I wanted to follow the conversation further and even join it.
I am desperate to know God more and to learn to walk in His truth. After reading ‘Bo’s Cafe,’ I realise more than ever that I don’t have all the answers, but He does, and I am grateful that there are some who are further along that path than I am who can help me. I can think of at least a hundred people in Germany alone I’d like to give this book to.”
See this review here
“I came across a black market copy of this book a few months ago. Fueled primarily by the desire to be one of the first to read a book, I snuck the book back to my room, determined to read just a few pages. Several hours later I was still awake, trying to finish before my scheduled departure. As I turned the last page, I realized that I had just read a book that would change the way I think about grace, my identity, and my relationship with others.
Others have told about the story line here, so I won’t do that. Instead I will speak to the way this book touched my life. I am a reader touched personally by the issue of domestic violence. One of the most difficult things for me to do in my recovery was to learn to love others in a way that was not destructive to me or them. I’ve read many books and had hours of therapy. What I lacked, though, was a picture of grace-filled love. This book showed me a picture of protective love that is possible and not codependent. It taught me that a community of grace can influence change far more effectively than a list of shoulds and should nots. For those who are wondering what grace looks like in the midst of the painful realities of life, this book will provide a realistic picture and possibly even the motivation to find or create your own Bo’s Café.”
By Melissa Lindsey (Saint Cloud, MN)
See Melissa’s entire review at http://www.amazon.com/Bos-Cafe
“The story of Steven and Lindsey Kerner, Andy Monroe, with the restored Buick Electra, and the folks at Bo’s Cafe is more than a story. This novel is about any of us. All of our lives resonate within each page. The book follows the journey of Steven Kerner, often backfiring like any old engine, whose life and marriage is falling apart because of his rage and “It’s not my fault” attitude. Steven, a big corporate businessman, at a big company is losing it. Enter Andy Monroe, an ex-big businessman who now works at a marina. Throw in Andy and Hank and Cynthia from Bo’s Cafe, and the dance begins.
…In the days before I dropped corporate America to work part-time in a peaceful arena that suited my laid back personality, I was Steven Kerner. Every sentence hit its mark. Don’t let me steer you wrong here – this book titillates, bounces you up and down and back again, and the brakes are put down hard when the Steven revs too high. I absolutely loved it and it touched me deeply. If you’re a fan of “The Shack”, you’ll love this novel.
Fast read, and extraordinarily interesting, couldn’t put it down.
Drive it out of the lot readers, it’s a winner!”
By thereviewbroads.com
See this entire review at www.thereviewboards.com
“You come home from work and your spouse says something — something possibly containing a minuscule, trace amount of irritation — and you react to it. Then he/she reacts to your reaction. Then it gets loud. Then it crosses the line to where you’re saying things you instinctively know as you are saying them that you are going to have to apologize later. Or worse.
I sometimes have anger issues. I admit that. I think a lot of people do, and I think that we live in times that leave us vulnerable to stress factors that manifest themselves in different ways in different people…
This is a book that will save lives…”
By Paul Wilkinson
See Paul’s entire review at paulwilkinson.wordpress.com
“How exactly do you follow up on the success of `The Shack’? Do the publishers pursue money, marketing share or message? I’ve been waiting to see what they would print next, knowing that their office is overwhelmed by submissions from eager writers wanting to capitalize on the Windblown brand. After reading, Bo’s Café, I am not surprised that the publishers chose to go with `message.’ Bo’s Café is another novel written by three close friends. If this book is passed around like `The Shack’ it will also be because the readers found that it makes a difference. Bo’s Café has whetted my appetite for more. Read this book with an open heart and you won’t be disappointed. You may see grace in a whole new light! “
By Chad Estes (Boise, Idaho, USA)
See Chad’s entire review at http://www.amazon.com/Bos-Cafe and http://captainestes.blogspot.com/
“…you will identify with the issues, your mind may be opened to many of our human ‘defense mechanisms’, and perhaps you may find the answer you’ve been looking for all your life.
I recommend this novel highly, for the theme, for the revelation of the process and for the colorful characters that come in and out of the story.”
By Keiki Hendrix (Greenville, SC USA)
Vessel Project Book Reviewer
See Keiki’s entire review at http://www.amazon.com/Bos-Cafe and vesselproject.wordpress.com
“I visited Bo’s Café. Got to know some of the regulars. I joined Steven for a while in his fight to hold on to his rightness and superior position, trying to keep an image of himself that he thought would bring acceptance. Then I experienced, in the story of Steven, his strange friend Andy, and his wife Lindsay, the secret to enjoying a fulfilled life. A place where you already have everything it takes to learn this secret. I encourage you to make your way to Bo’s . . .”
By W. Kohl (Hampton, NH)
See this entire review at http://www.amazon.com/Bos-Cafe
“Bo’s Cafe is a story about us all; about who we are in our weakness, rage, fear, love, beauty, blindness, and aloneness. Bo’s tells the story of the power of community as it is played out in the very ordinary, very real life of Steven – a harried, hurried and haunted Everyman. Slightly aware of the crumbling grip he has on his own life, a muddled marriage and a meaningless career, Steven shambles towards Grace in the passenger seat of a Buick Electra driven by his very own guide to the real life, Andy Monroe. This is a simple story – powerful and true – of loss and redemption, the fear and lure of being known and what it really means to live in community . A must read for anyone who loves truth and longs to experience the grace of being fully known and still, deeply loved.”
By Teresa Lax (Phoenix, AZ)
See Teresa’s entire review at http://www.amazon.com/Bos-Cafe
“I loved it from the moment I started reading. I could see my story written in the pages…
This is by far one of the best books I’ve ever read. Though written in novel form, it is filled with the truths of God’s desire for shared relationship and healing… Everyone needs a “Bo’s Cafe” in their lives.”
By Jewelz (Georgia)
See Jewelz’s entire review at http://www.amazon.com/Bos-Cafe
“Many novels are pure entertainment. You are lost in a different world for a few hours. BO’S CAFE is much more than a simple reading experience. Yes, you will be lost in the drama and life of Steven, the lead character, yet the experience will be much more. I found BO’S CAFE a thoughtful and pointed experience.
I highly recommend this book. I find myself thinking about it in odd moments days after I completed it. Get this book and try it.”
By W. Terry Whalin “Publisher/Editor/Writer” (Scottsdale, Arizona)
See Terry’s entire review at http://www.amazon.com/Bos-Cafe
“Steven Kerner is living life on the fast track and angry at the world. When his life blows up in his face, he finds himself in a part of town he hadn’t inhabited since childhood. There, he meets an old friend of his father’s, Andy Monroe. Andy takes Steven for a ride he’ll never forget and introduces Steven to a person he isn’t sure he wants to meet. Himself. Steven is forced to face issues he’d rather leave buried. Can he realize the shame he carries within? Can he bury his anger and repair his marriage before it’s too late? And who are these people who inhabit Bo’s Café and get into Steven’s personal business?
Full of soul-searching, grace, and quirky characters, BO’S CAFÉ is a book that will stay with the reader long after the last page is turned. Anyone who leads a fast paced life, full of rigid schedules and high ambitions will relate to Steven Kerner’s inner struggles. A 10 on the faith scale, this novel is far from preachy, but you’ll feel you’ve left church with a meaty message.”
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