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Parkside Community Church #1
A Bride for Pastor Dan
This short story is meant as an introduction to the Parkside Community Church series. The main characters from this story continue through all five books as secondary characters and their characters are expanded on throughout the series. If you don't enjoy short stories, this book may not be what you're looking for.
43 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 16, 2011
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401 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 105 reviews
July 22, 2014
The story in a nutshell
:
Pastor Dan meets Anna. Falls in love with her. Asks her to marry him. She says yes. The end.
In a slightly bigger nutshell:
Pastor meets Anna at the church. They go out to dinner and a movie. He loves her. Proposes. Accepted. The end.
And a bit bigger :
Pastor Dan meets Anna at the church while she is volunteering. They go out to dinner and a movie. He is blown away by her devotion to the parish and all her other wonderful qualities. He knows he loves her. Anna is strongly attracted to Pastor Dan because he's hot. They decide to get married.
Now, come on, there has to be something more to the story, right?? Like, a problem, an issue, something. Well, there is the issue of Anna doing too much volunteering at church to the point where she can't attend service because she is watching babies, but (brace yourselves), that issue is never solved. They talk about it, but as soon as they decide to get married, everything else is forgotten and the story just ends.
This short story was such a waste of time. Nothing happens. The H/h fall in love the day they meet and decide to get married the next. Huh??
And you know what is most annoying about this book?
It was actually quite cute.
Cute.
It was cute.
A story with no plot and barely any characterization, and yet I was so happy for them to get married. Something is clearly wrong with me. I nearly gave this 3 stars, but decided against it, because I truly do not think it deserves them.
This was a Kindle freebie, obviously.
Pastor Dan meets Anna. Falls in love with her. Asks her to marry him. She says yes. The end.
In a slightly bigger nutshell:
Pastor meets Anna at the church. They go out to dinner and a movie. He loves her. Proposes. Accepted. The end.
And a bit bigger :
Pastor Dan meets Anna at the church while she is volunteering. They go out to dinner and a movie. He is blown away by her devotion to the parish and all her other wonderful qualities. He knows he loves her. Anna is strongly attracted to Pastor Dan because he's hot. They decide to get married.
Now, come on, there has to be something more to the story, right?? Like, a problem, an issue, something. Well, there is the issue of Anna doing too much volunteering at church to the point where she can't attend service because she is watching babies, but (brace yourselves), that issue is never solved. They talk about it, but as soon as they decide to get married, everything else is forgotten and the story just ends.
This short story was such a waste of time. Nothing happens. The H/h fall in love the day they meet and decide to get married the next. Huh??
And you know what is most annoying about this book?
It was actually quite cute.
Cute.
It was cute.
A story with no plot and barely any characterization, and yet I was so happy for them to get married. Something is clearly wrong with me. I nearly gave this 3 stars, but decided against it, because I truly do not think it deserves them.
This was a Kindle freebie, obviously.
December 15, 2017
A fun contemporary Christian romance series. I wish Katie Crabapple would write more books!
October 2, 2012
I enjoyed this short but sweet story. It was cute and wholesome. The only problem I had was with the characters being adamant that the parents should help out in the nursery. I strongly disagree. Sunday mornings were a rare opportunity for my husband and I to reconnect and for me to get some spiritual nourishment. I was surprised to be pregnant again when my son was only a year and a half old. The doctor didn't even want me lifting my own child since I was carrying twins. My church just automatically signed my husband and I up as volunteers. After I had my girls, I had three children in diapers. I was changing over 100 diapers a week, I couldn't change one more! There are many people in our church that don't have children yet or their children are older. They would make perfect volunteers. They have many other chances during the week to be spiritually fed. I was very active in my church volunteering before I had my babies and as they got older, I was able to resume volunteering, but putting an extra burden on a family with young children is not a good idea.
June 12, 2020
Under developed
This is way too under developed to be a full story, but I enjoyed what was there. I wish the author would have quit saying how chubby and homely the heroine was. I am glad she has a good personality and Pastor Dan was able to overlook her unfortunate appearance, but really. Overkill.
I like the female MC a lot, and I wanted to see her be courted just a little. It was a little insulting how quickly he proposed, and I married my husband after only 5-6 weeks! It's just that she deserved a little more attention than his selfish, "I think you are perfect for ME. Let's get married." Still, I will continue with this series. It has its charms.
This is way too under developed to be a full story, but I enjoyed what was there. I wish the author would have quit saying how chubby and homely the heroine was. I am glad she has a good personality and Pastor Dan was able to overlook her unfortunate appearance, but really. Overkill.
I like the female MC a lot, and I wanted to see her be courted just a little. It was a little insulting how quickly he proposed, and I married my husband after only 5-6 weeks! It's just that she deserved a little more attention than his selfish, "I think you are perfect for ME. Let's get married." Still, I will continue with this series. It has its charms.
March 4, 2021
Parkside Community Church is a series of short stories that take place as the Pastor has retired in this church and a fresh out of seminary pastor, Dan, takes over. There's lots of things that have been let slide with the older pastor, and Dan is feeling the overwhelming pressure of what he's just taken over. Basically he meets Mary, decides he loves her, and tells her he wants to marry her in all the same day. That was probably pretty unrealistic, but yet it's a sweet, clean, fun, inspirational romance.
March 22, 2025
Good book. I was a little disappointed in the dress standards though. The author had a great lesson on a person. It's not how beautiful or handsome the person looks. The main thing is, "Are they saved?" Don't judge by looks because a person can have great looks and a terrible attitude. I am also not very fond of people touching/kissing before they are married...however,NOTHING was inappropriate at all in the book. The author still kept it clean. It is better to wait for the right person to marry, than to regret your mistake for the rest of your life.
April 30, 2025
Anna King, the volunteer for the baby nursery during church services hasn't met the new pastor. In A Bride for Pastor Dan ~ Parkside Community Church ~ Book 1, by Katie Crabapple she meets the new pastor for the first time as she leave the church after cleaning the nursery and she had forgot her shoes. A sweet romance followed until Anna agreed to marry him during the summer vacation from her teaching job at a local school. It is a good Christian romance where two people find they have much in common and decantation to the church family they shared.
April 18, 2021
High-speed wedding plans
Finding a variety of helpers for the babies in a church is very important. Everyone needs opportunities to be blessed by the preaching of the Word in fellowship. Both Anna and the pastor were about to be extremely blessed by what God would have in store. Very good!
Finding a variety of helpers for the babies in a church is very important. Everyone needs opportunities to be blessed by the preaching of the Word in fellowship. Both Anna and the pastor were about to be extremely blessed by what God would have in store. Very good!
May 26, 2017
Whirlwind romance
This is definitely a whirlwind romance, but I will not say anything else about it without giving it away. Even though this is a short story, it did not feel like one. It was a short, easy read, that leaves the reader feeling good.
This is definitely a whirlwind romance, but I will not say anything else about it without giving it away. Even though this is a short story, it did not feel like one. It was a short, easy read, that leaves the reader feeling good.
April 19, 2018
Thankfully, this book was super short. It was like an 8 year old had to write a love story. As short as the book was, it managed to be extremely repetitive, too. It could have been condensed to one short paragraph.
May 10, 2017
Good sweet, short story.
November 28, 2017
I enjoyed this book.
I liked the storyline and the characters. I found nothing to dislike. I rated this 5 stars because I liked reading this book.
I liked the storyline and the characters. I found nothing to dislike. I rated this 5 stars because I liked reading this book.
June 18, 2019
A Bride for Pastor Dan
I truly enjoyed reading a book that was full of Christian virtues in action not just words. It was too short though.
I truly enjoyed reading a book that was full of Christian virtues in action not just words. It was too short though.
January 29, 2021
Cute story. Very short and relationship was rushed.
May 31, 2021
Great book
October 6, 2021
If the utopian city existed, the characters in this book would be its residents. I liked how the story is written, even if the plot is unbelievable and religious.
February 17, 2023
Bride for Pastor Dan
A story of a giving heart which causes a woman who sees herself as average to appear as beautiful to the new Pastor. Beauty truly shines from inside.
A story of a giving heart which causes a woman who sees herself as average to appear as beautiful to the new Pastor. Beauty truly shines from inside.
May 19, 2014
Anna is content with her life. She works as a kindergarten teacher for a local school, and gives as much of her time as she can to her church. The new pastor at her church has caused quite a stir among the single females, because not only is he a single pastor, but he’s a handsome single pastor. Anna knows she doesn’t have a shot with him. Or does she?
This short story is meant as an introduction to the Parkside Community Church series. The main characters from this story continue through all five books as secondary characters and their characters are expanded on throughout the series. If you don't enjoy short stories, this book may not be what you're looking for.
This is part one of the Parkside Community Church series. Pastor Dan is already frustrated with the lack of christian volunteer spirit in the church. Then he finds Anna, just before she burns her feet. Pastor Dan is in awe of Anna’s Christian spirit and all that she has done for the children’s program. Dan shakes up the church and while doing that he falls in love with Anna and her servants heart.
Cute, romantic story. I was disappointed with the shortness of the book. But it is a great book and well written. Anna has been going to Parkside Community Church all her life and has a good servants heart. But this has allowed her actions and responses to restricted by the small minded eps of a few members of the church. After offering to help out in the children’s room for a couple of weeks it slowly turns into 6 months with not much help insight. After a chance run in with the new pastor that she has never met, Anna’s see’s hope for the future of the church. Dan has become very overwhelmed by the church he has taken on. He is disappointed in the congregations lack of a servants heart until he meets Anna. It shows him there are good members in the church and he see’s something special in Anna.
7 out of 10
This short story is meant as an introduction to the Parkside Community Church series. The main characters from this story continue through all five books as secondary characters and their characters are expanded on throughout the series. If you don't enjoy short stories, this book may not be what you're looking for.
This is part one of the Parkside Community Church series. Pastor Dan is already frustrated with the lack of christian volunteer spirit in the church. Then he finds Anna, just before she burns her feet. Pastor Dan is in awe of Anna’s Christian spirit and all that she has done for the children’s program. Dan shakes up the church and while doing that he falls in love with Anna and her servants heart.
Cute, romantic story. I was disappointed with the shortness of the book. But it is a great book and well written. Anna has been going to Parkside Community Church all her life and has a good servants heart. But this has allowed her actions and responses to restricted by the small minded eps of a few members of the church. After offering to help out in the children’s room for a couple of weeks it slowly turns into 6 months with not much help insight. After a chance run in with the new pastor that she has never met, Anna’s see’s hope for the future of the church. Dan has become very overwhelmed by the church he has taken on. He is disappointed in the congregations lack of a servants heart until he meets Anna. It shows him there are good members in the church and he see’s something special in Anna.
7 out of 10
February 22, 2017
This is a short story and a very fast moving one at that! But I liked it and will read the others in the series.
July 8, 2014
I did enjoy this book and the premise of finding someone you can spend the rest of your life with. I did realise that it was a short story due to the reviews however, like other people, I was very surprised by how short it was as it did seem to be a race to the finish.
Story is told mainly from Anna's POV who is a generous Christian woman who considers herself to be quite plain and therefore unlikely to find a man to marry. When the new pastor joins the church and they meet he is so good looking Anna believes he would have no interest in a girl like her. Of course Dan is interested in Anna and on the first day of meeting he knows he is serious about pursuing a relationship to lead to marriage. This is all very sweet and lovely and I enjoyed the writing of the author, however I do feel the story could be better with just a few more chapters.
Knowing you want to be serious about a person and not have a casual dating relationship is one with, proposing within a day of meeting just felt forced to me. There was little exploration of Dan and Anna really getting to know one another and discovering that they really did feel love for one another and there was no understanding on if they were even really compatible. Dan asked Anna to marry him and wanted to get married immediately with no discussion on anything really and considering how important pre-marriage counselling is to many Christian pastors I found it weird that they had no talking around what they expected out of marriage, if to have children, how many, etc.
This was a small drawback and on the whole enjoyed the story
Story is told mainly from Anna's POV who is a generous Christian woman who considers herself to be quite plain and therefore unlikely to find a man to marry. When the new pastor joins the church and they meet he is so good looking Anna believes he would have no interest in a girl like her. Of course Dan is interested in Anna and on the first day of meeting he knows he is serious about pursuing a relationship to lead to marriage. This is all very sweet and lovely and I enjoyed the writing of the author, however I do feel the story could be better with just a few more chapters.
Knowing you want to be serious about a person and not have a casual dating relationship is one with, proposing within a day of meeting just felt forced to me. There was little exploration of Dan and Anna really getting to know one another and discovering that they really did feel love for one another and there was no understanding on if they were even really compatible. Dan asked Anna to marry him and wanted to get married immediately with no discussion on anything really and considering how important pre-marriage counselling is to many Christian pastors I found it weird that they had no talking around what they expected out of marriage, if to have children, how many, etc.
This was a small drawback and on the whole enjoyed the story
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 3, 2016
Anna thinks she's plain and probably won't ever marry. She's stuck in the nursery and children's divisions and hasn't heard a sermon in months. So she hasn't met the new single pastor that everyone is raving about. But once she meets him - it's full steam ahead.
I don't think I've ever read a story that went that fast. Granted it's a very short story so quite a lot must be packed into it if you want a couple to meet and marry (or at least be engaged) before the story ends. The story was very cute, but once they'd gone on their first date it felt like it was a rush to the end. There were a few grammatical errors and a couple of places that the conversation felt a tad forced. But all in all it was a cute story and I'm looking forward to checking out the next book in the series.
I received this book free of charge in exchange for my honest review.
I don't think I've ever read a story that went that fast. Granted it's a very short story so quite a lot must be packed into it if you want a couple to meet and marry (or at least be engaged) before the story ends. The story was very cute, but once they'd gone on their first date it felt like it was a rush to the end. There were a few grammatical errors and a couple of places that the conversation felt a tad forced. But all in all it was a cute story and I'm looking forward to checking out the next book in the series.
I received this book free of charge in exchange for my honest review.
January 1, 2015
SUMMARY: Anna is content with her life. She works as a kindergarten teacher for a local school, and gives as much of her time as she can to her church. The new pastor at her church has caused quite a stir among the single females, because not only is he a single pastor, but he’s a handsome single pastor. Anna knows she doesn’t have a shot with him. Or does she?
This short story is meant as an introduction to the Parkside Community Church series. The main characters from this story continue through all five books as secondary characters and their characters are expanded on throughout the series. If you don't enjoy short stories, this book may not be what you're looking for.
REVIEW: This is a cute story, but I found it totally unrealistic that a pastor would meet a girl from his congregation and ask her to marry him a few days later. Not much depth to it by any means.
This short story is meant as an introduction to the Parkside Community Church series. The main characters from this story continue through all five books as secondary characters and their characters are expanded on throughout the series. If you don't enjoy short stories, this book may not be what you're looking for.
REVIEW: This is a cute story, but I found it totally unrealistic that a pastor would meet a girl from his congregation and ask her to marry him a few days later. Not much depth to it by any means.
April 11, 2012
Very nicely written Christian short story. Anna is a plain young woman, whom thinks she's destined to be single because she's plain and overweight. Dan is the new young pastor of the community church. I thought the "love in the first day" was slightly unbelievable, however, anything is possible with God has it written in your heart. I thought this story could have been alot longer. It would have been nice to have some more of the back story, and maybe the weeks leading to the wedding and even slightly after the wedding. What is the church community's reaction to the pairing and such. I'd still read the book again though so I'm giving it a solid 4 stars.
February 5, 2013
The Pastor stumbles across the hardest working single female in the church, Anna. Anna was so engulfed with volunteering in the children's ministry that she didn't have time to meet the single new Pastor that everyone had been drooling over. One day they met, talked and fell in love. The author wasted no time in this short story. This was a nice feel good story! I love the way the author chose to make Anna, the hardworking young lady, the Pastor's wife. I drew from this that God rewarded Anna's faithfulness. Because the Pastor was wise enough to see through just outside beauty and Anna was faithful, God gave them the jackpot (each other).
January 18, 2013
I really wanted to like this more than I did. I am not familiar with the author's other works, but this title reads as if it were her very first endeavor into Christian romance. I felt like Pastor Dan was too wet behind the ears to be an effective senior pastor and that Anna was too much the paragon to be read as a heroine with whom I could empathize.
However, I think the characters could benefit from some seasoning. Checking in on them after they've been married for a while might be fun. There are more books to the series and I will probably seek them out.
However, I think the characters could benefit from some seasoning. Checking in on them after they've been married for a while might be fun. There are more books to the series and I will probably seek them out.
May 14, 2013
Finished it in almost one sitting....I kept having to stop to talk to my little one...get ready for the doctors appointment..and so on...But it didnt take long for me to read...
This is truly an insta-love story...But I didn't mind it with this because it was such a cute and sweet story...Easy to read...Quick read....I adored it honestly.
I've been fortunate this last week to find some short easy reads and able to get through them the same day or within a couple of days...This one is one of the same days..Well written, cute story....And I loved all the characters in the book...
This is truly an insta-love story...But I didn't mind it with this because it was such a cute and sweet story...Easy to read...Quick read....I adored it honestly.
I've been fortunate this last week to find some short easy reads and able to get through them the same day or within a couple of days...This one is one of the same days..Well written, cute story....And I loved all the characters in the book...
January 12, 2012
I liked this novella! A sweet Christian romance that reminds us that ministers have romantic thoughts, too. Well written, the right length, and anyone who has any responsibility in a church will be able to identify with the church situation.
It moved fast, but I knew I would marry my husband within 10 minutes of meeting him, so I'm not going to find fault with the story line. Loved the heroine's parents names and had to share them with my husband, who chuckled.
It moved fast, but I knew I would marry my husband within 10 minutes of meeting him, so I'm not going to find fault with the story line. Loved the heroine's parents names and had to share them with my husband, who chuckled.
April 6, 2013
I know I shouldn't complain about a short story being too short, but it does seem kind of pointless to read a romance that is only 43 pages long. By the time you introduce the characters they are magically in love and getting married it 24 hours. There is absolutely no conflict to overcome whatsoever. It is very pointless, but on the other hand it is very fast to read so you aren't wasting too much time.
October 22, 2013
Nice short story, but I really took issue with Katie being taken advantage of by her parish. Granted, she asked to serve, but the story is indicative of what happens in real churches, where a few serve and others just stand by. Then there was Dan's initial assessment of Katie, that she wasn't all that attractive, but that she might make a good pastor's wife. Really?! Men...!!! Ugh.
May read the other novellas as they come out, but really wasn't all that impressed.
May read the other novellas as they come out, but really wasn't all that impressed.
January 9, 2012
Absolutely loved this story. Short sweet and to the point without all the "faffing" around that sometimes is written in many main stream romances. Its lovely to read as an escape when there are kids around. Id like to see this story and the others in the series made into a printed anthology which would be a very welcome addition to my bookshelf!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 105 reviews