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If You Believe In Me

He made a promise he intends to keep... Three years ago, Amber Benedict fell in love with Kale Riker and pledged to wait for him to return from the military. Even though she rarely hears from him, she's steadfast in her he's coming home to her, and soon. Then the government tells Kale's family that he's missing in action, and they have given him up for dead. Kale Riker has been away from civilization and Amber for three long years. He's been promised he can retire his commission when he completes his current mission, but now he's seriously wounded and facing a long recovery. Worse still, security risks force a communications blackout, leaving him no way to let Amber know he's alive. Can Amber hold out against an entire town pushing her to give up on love while Kale fights to get back home to her before Christmas?

66 pages, Paperback

First published December 17, 2012

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About the author

Natalie J. Damschroder

71 books243 followers
Natalie J. Damschroder loves combining end-of-the-world stakes with the relationships that make those stakes personal. Love with a Shot of Adrenaline has infused nearly every story she's published. Whether you like quick reads you can finish in a day or sinking into longer books, you'll find something to satisfy your craving for action, romance, and happy endings. She also writes paranormal young adult romance as NJ Damschroder, where all of the same elements apply.

Besides her dozens of published books, what Natalie is most proud of is her family. She and her husband have been married over 30 years and still have the kind of partnership she makes her characters fight for every day. They've raised two awesome kids now living their own fulfilling lives, which you would think would mean she'd write more books faster. But she's enjoying reading, relaxing with good TV, and sleeping too much to give any of that up. In the fall and winter, almost nothing will keep her from cheering on her New England Patriots, even though they don't win as much anymore. Visit her website at nataliedamschroder.com to learn more about her books and sign up for her newsletter.

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5 stars
21 (23%)
4 stars
28 (30%)
3 stars
33 (36%)
2 stars
6 (6%)
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3 (3%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews
Profile Image for Claire.
2,325 reviews740 followers
October 9, 2015
3 - "I will never give up." Stars.

If You Believe In Me was a quick sweet and heart-warming read, about not giving up hope and holding on for the one you love, no matter the consequences and whatever everyone else believes.

Amber and Kale, were friends forever, lovers for two weeks, and have been separated for two years, while he serves overseas, even worse the last six months have been under the assumption that he is listed as missing.

”I believe in him.”

Amber doesn’t give up hope, and Kale does his best to get home for Christmas, to give the woman he loves the seasonal magic she deserves.

This is the first work I have read by this author, although quick, the story was well written and the characters engaging, and I would happily read more from her in the future. Well worth a try if you are looking for a speedy Christmas shot in the arm!

ARC generously provided via Netgalley, in exchange for the above honest review.
Profile Image for Carrie.
3,665 reviews1,721 followers
October 15, 2015
Amber and Kale fell in love before Kale went off to serve in the military. The two had plans to marry when Kale came home from his service. When months go by without hearing from Kale though everyone including Kale's parents tell Amber she needs to finally let go and move on but Amber refuses to give up hope.

A wonderful romance novella that switches back and forth between Amber who refuses to give up on her true love Kale and Kale telling his story of just how much he wants to go home to her. Very emotional ride between two characters you just can't help but feel for.

Overall, lovely story to tug at the heart strings, highly recommend.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

For more reviews please visit https://carriesbookreviews.wordpress....
Profile Image for Donna Sweeney.
661 reviews15 followers
November 18, 2015
Kindly provided with an ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review......

Oh this was one sweet read. Its a real feel good story. Its set around Christmas time and is the Story of Amber and Kale.

Kale has been away for 3 years in the forces and EVERY-ONE except Amber believes he's dead.....oh ye have little faith people !

Quick read, start to finish 2 hours (ish) but I sat with a smile reading the duel POV for each character and their tale back to each other.

Ended on a HEA so yup, right on the money for me.

Well done Natalie x

Many thanks Netgalley for this opportunity.

Later peeps xx
1,043 reviews15 followers
November 10, 2015
Although this was a short novella, it was perfectly paced and developed as if it was 100 pages longer. I liked how the author revealed their story by going back and forth with flashbacks. The story jumps right into the pain and hope Amber feels about her boyfriend Kale. Childhood friends who finally got together right before he was deployed three years ago, it's now been 2 years since she's seen him and 6 months since he was declared MIA. Everyone deals with grief differently and I hurt for Amber and the way Kale's father took his own pain out on her. He did make an interesting point, "hope means fear." It did feel like his parents were abandoning her (who have been like a surrogate family to her after hers died). Amber never gave up even though the entire town thinks she should. They see how she's lived the past 2-3 years in limbo by putting her own life on hold. She's now questioning if those memories of their time together were real or what she wants them to be.

Thank you to Entangled Publishing (Flirt) for a copy of this book for my honest review.
Profile Image for Nicola.
1,390 reviews286 followers
October 17, 2015
If You Believe in Me is a short heart-warming read centralising around life-long friends and new-lovers, Amber and Kale.

“He’s not coming home.”

Missing and assumed dead on deployment, Kale is actually very much neither and is waiting for his current mission to end so he can retire and return home to Amber. But back home Amber is the only one holding onto the hope that he is coming back to her, despite his parents and friends trying to make her see otherwise.

“But we just need to have hope.”

And that is what this story focusses on. The hope. In having faith and the strength of determination to believe when others don’t. And whilst it’s a little deeper than what I usually look for in a festive read, it was quick, engaging, heartfelt and I’d certainly read more from this author in future.

Copy received courtesy of Entangled Publishing via NetGalley for an honest and unbiased opinion.
Profile Image for Jen.
3,679 reviews
November 6, 2015
Read the full review on Bookaholics Not-So-Anonymous.

Note: This ebook was provided by Entangled Publishing in exchange for an honest review.

If You Believe in Me is a short Christmas story from Natalie J. Damschroder and is a really quick read that I think can be finished in less than half an hour. Amber and Kale are in love, but Kale is in the military and most of his missions are top secret. When he's reported as missing, his parents and most of his hometown assume the worst and give up hope for his return by Christmas. Amber is the only one who still believes that she'll get the man she loves back. Their story is filled with hope, something that's often doubly brought about by the Christmas season. Short but sweet, If You Believe in Me gets 3.5 stars, rounded off to four stars. ♥
Profile Image for Christi Snow.
Author 73 books751 followers
December 22, 2012
My Review:
Seriously, read that story description. You know going into this that it's going to be an emotional book and it totally was, and I loved it. The chapters go back and forth between Amber, who's trying to keep the faith that Kale is coming back to her, and Kale, who is doing everything in a war zone to get home. It's heartbreaking. It's emotional. And it was so incredibly well-done. It's a short novella. I read it in under an hour, but there is so much packed into this little book!

I highly recommend it. Both the characters are strong and you can't help but to fall in love with their spirit and need to get back to each other. A great read!
Profile Image for Ruthie Taylor.
3,724 reviews40 followers
December 17, 2015
~~I received a free copy of this book to read and review for Wicked Reads ~~

This is a heart-warming story of a woman who will not give up hope for the return of her soldier boyfriend, even when his parents do. Her beliefs and his tenacity give us a lovely Christmas story, with a flirty skirt on the side. For a short story there is plenty of attention to create believable detail and I enjoyed reading it.

Wicked Reads Review Team
Profile Image for Lady Lioness.
1,101 reviews93 followers
February 7, 2013
So shortly after I posted my review of Under the Moon, I got an email from the author. Seeing an email from the author immediately put me in the 'oh, crap!' mindset, but it was basically her thanking me for the review and asking if I'd like to try one of her straight-up contemporaries. My response was along the lines of 'boy, howdy, would I!' She sent If You Believe in Me along to me and I dived in. When I finished, I decided that she's trying to give me a heart attack via sheer frustration.

My previous complaint with Damschroder's work was that she focused so much on the action, she neglected the emotional side of things. If You Believe was wonderfully emotional and gives the reader a glimpse at what life is like for the people left behind after a loved one's deployment. It's also one of the few Christmas books I've read that really captures what Christmas means to me. Having said that, the pacing could have been a lot tighter. This is a novella rather than a full-fledged ebook and it ends so abruptly I got whiplash. Like the heroine says "" and that's it. Damschroder did a great job of getting me to care about the heroine and then I got no payoff. I mean, his parents basically kicked her out of the family, , and there's no resolution? Hell, call me petty, but I'd be !

According to the author, the Brook Hollow series is also straight-up contemporary, but they're not available at Kobo or Books on Board. Amazon and B&N are selling the first one for around $6, All Romance Ebooks for $7. That's too much for me. So I will just to have wait for Damschroder to write the book that I know she's capable of. If you want a Christmass-y novella and love novellas, If You Believe in Me, at the time I'm writing this, is selling around $0.99.
Profile Image for Amy Fournier.
557 reviews153 followers
December 22, 2012
This is a great holiday novella. No one has heard from Kale in six months, and three months ago his parents were told he is missing. The whole town has given up hope of Kale returning, but Amber refuses to believe it. She is convinced that he will come home even when everyone tells her to give up or gives her sympathetic looks. Even his parents are trying to move on. I thought this was a sweet and touching story about love and hope.

Amber is a sweet girl. We learn about her and Kale's past and how some of their holiday traditions have started. Such as the week before Christmas dinner at his parents house. Amber owns her own little shop in town and is close with Kale's parents. Her best friend is her cousin Rina. While everyone else has given up hope of Kale returning, Amber refuses to believe he can really be gone. You can tell how much she loves him. You can feel her aching need for him to be there with her and you can also feel her anger at everyone for giving up hope, especially his own parents. It takes her a while to understand that it hurts more to hold on, then to let go, but she's not ready to let go yet.


We go through the week and also get to go back to memories from the past few years. A polar plunge, her and Kale playing Santa and an Elf, and dinner with his parents. We get a feel for the sweet relationship they had and it makes you want so badly for a Christmas miracle of them being together. When everyone has lost hope, it's hard to hang on, but love is a force stronger than anything. This short story packed a lot of emotion, but was sweet and touching! Though I read it during the holidays, I think it's a fantastic quick read for any time of year.
Profile Image for Char (1RadReader59).
3,446 reviews19 followers
November 18, 2015
This was a nice feel good Christmas story. Based around a couple who grew up in the same town and were in the same circles. When Kale Riker had finally gotten the nerve up to ask Amber Benedict out on a date it was not what either ever expected.
You see that night Kale ended up sitting with her as she cried for her parents because they were killed in a car accident that night. Not a moment to build a future on. But she was strong better than Kale thought he could have been. She threw herself into community service and opening a consignment store.
After that Kale watched and helped out as needed. When she opened the store he helped. Always looking for a sign that she was ready to date again. They both were getting worried the other was no longer interested. So someone had to make a move especially since he had only two more weeks then he would be gone. He was going to be going to training for the military.
He was worried about starting something while he was going to be gone but decided to go for it as she did too. That night made a wonderful memory as did the rest of the two weeks. He hated telling her but he couldn’t hold it back he had to tell her that …
You must read to find out what he told her. You won’t regret it. Remember it is a feel good. But when your heart loves it loves, only your heart can say when it’s over. Provided by netgalley.com. Follow us at: www.1rad-readerreviews.com
Profile Image for Avephoenix.
1,088 reviews
October 30, 2015
3.5 STARS

This is an emotional story that fits just fine with the upcoming holidays. This is a love story fill with hope, faith, strength, and much more. Even though is a short story, the message that leaves with you is bigger and warm.

Amber is in love with Kale and pledged to wait for him to return from the military. Then the government tells Kale’s family that he’s missing in action, and they have given him up for dead. However, whatever they said, Amber will never stop believing that he's coming back to her.

Kale Riker has been away from civilization and Amber for three long years. He’s been promised he can retire his commission when he completes his current mission, but now he’s seriously wounded and facing a long recovery. Worse still, security risks force a communications blackout, leaving him no way to let Amber know he's alive.

Review copy courtesy of the publisher via NetGalley.
Profile Image for Romantic Reads and Such.
1,248 reviews22 followers
November 3, 2015
If You Believe in Me is a very short read, but packed full of holiday hope. It’s all about Amber refusing to give up on Kale coming home, even when everyone says she should.

I love how Amber doesn't let people push her into feeling something she doesn't. They are doing it with good intentions but that just makes it that much harder to stand up to them.

But because it is so short I feel just a little cheated at the ending and want another chapter or two to expand on Kale’s homecoming. It’s a small thing and I definitely feel good about the story I got - it's just that we spent all those pages getting to that point it would be nice to bask in it just a bit more :)

Overall, If You Believe in Me is definitely a great read to get you in the Christmas spirit.

(Complimentary copy provided in exchange for an honest review)
864 reviews7 followers
October 25, 2015
I am a sucker for the "lost love, I have faith romances" and this one was so sweet.

Amber Benedict fell in love with Kale Riker, but when Kale is declared missing in action and everyone else is laying him to rest and moving on she refuses to believe he's gone.

Kale was sent on ultra-super top secret missions and for that he needed to be "dead", but not a day goes by that he doesn't think of Amber.

Just when it looks like it might be another year with Kale gone a miracle happens and he moves hell and high-water to get home to Amber.

Just so sweet. Loved this story.

Rating 5 out of 5
Read@Book
1,980 reviews9 followers
November 16, 2015
How long do you wait before moving on? Amber has been waiting 3 years for Kale to come home, he has been MIA overseas she has never given up always knowing that he will be home soon. Kale has been seriously injured and he is on the way home he just doesn't realize that his family thinks he is dead. He can't wait to see Amber he has something that he wants to ask her and he has waited a long time to do it.
Amber keeps on getting these feelings like Kale is behind her but that isn't possible is it?
A short sweet love story you don't have to give up when others do. I received a copy in exchange for an honest review via Netgalley.
Profile Image for Dísir.
1,805 reviews191 followers
December 3, 2014
A very short read, really, about an admirable woman who finds herself alone in not giving up on her man when everyone is gloomily depressed about his odds being alive - and has readily given up on him.

I've always thought that the length worked against this story; while I loved reading about the very real hardships military families face, I couldn't understand why why Kale's parents and the town were so willing to give up on him when his girlfriend wasn't. A little more context perhaps, or a bit more of a backstory would have functioned nicely here.

Profile Image for Samantha.
2,696 reviews22 followers
October 14, 2015
When Kale goes away, Amber is the only who continues to have faith he'll be home. Kale and Amber have had the same circle of friends for a while, but he's only recently gotten the courage to ask her out, then devastation strikes her family. Finally when they can be together, he has to leave for training. Can a new love survive?

Kale will do anything to get home to her even when he's got all odds against him. Amber will never stop believing he's coming home. It's a good book and a quick read. I really enjoyed it.
Profile Image for Natalija.
1,186 reviews
January 14, 2013
Well, the holidays are over, but I still have a couple of Christmas books left that I plan on reading. Hopefully, I'll be done by St. Valentine's Day.

"If You Believe in Me" wasn't what I expected it to be, it was a lot more serious and touched upon some important aspects of military life. While it might be seen as too heavy reading for Christmas Season, above all it's a story of hope that will inspire and warm your heart. Recommended!
4,923 reviews17 followers
November 5, 2015
Amber loved Kale, but nobody had heard from him and he was declared MIA.
This was an excellent novella, telling all in this one story. and through it all Amber remained true to her belief in herself. I loved the characters, the overall story and the plot. I highly recommend.
**I received an ARC of this story in exchange for an honest review
Profile Image for Natalie.
597 reviews44 followers
December 14, 2015
Although this was a short story, there was so much crunched into this book but comfortably so. You have loss, love, stength, and determination.

I loved this story because no matter what Amber never gave up regardless of what everyone said. Although she knew she may never see Kale again she still held on to hope.

Great read!!
Profile Image for Bette Hansen.
5,074 reviews40 followers
December 14, 2015
A fantastic short sweet read. Loved the determination Kale had to get back to Amber by Christmas Eve and Amber's unwavering belief that Kale would return to her. Even the fact that his parents and everyone else in their small town believed him dead, Amber would not accept it and kept her faith. Definitely a book I recommend.
Profile Image for Michela Walters.
535 reviews32 followers
November 4, 2015
This book was just so short. 53 pages. Just as you start to get into the story and figure out the characters it was over. Could have been better developed of it was a bit longer. Interesting premise though.
Profile Image for Karen Erickson.
Author 98 books1,434 followers
December 24, 2012
Satisfying, quick read. Loved the military hero and his devotion to get back home to be with the heroine.
Profile Image for JenRider.
144 reviews23 followers
December 26, 2012
Another sweet short story on Christmas about love..
Profile Image for M.J. Fredrick.
Author 70 books206 followers
December 26, 2012
One of the best books I read this year! Loved the anticipation, the superstitions, the unwavering faith and love. Absolutely loved it.
Profile Image for Chris Mead.
161 reviews5 followers
January 26, 2013
4.5 stars A deeply emotional tale with a holiday theme. Full review coming soon to harlequinjunkie.com
Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews