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West #10

Saving Trace

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The broken soldier and the small town sweetheart Music has always provided a welcomed escape from the dysfunctional reality Trace has become accustomed to. Fresh back from a tour overseas in the marines, he sets out to mend his wounds by strumming his way across the States. Stranded in what must be the smallest town in Texas, he must rely on the mercy and kindness of the people of Fairplay to right his way. Emma has a knack for spotting damaged souls and quickly pegs her next project in the hunky musician whose misfortune has landed him in Fairplay. Had it been anyone else, she would have patched his wounds and sent him on his way, but there’s just something about this one.

220 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 10, 2020

54 people are currently reading
152 people want to read

About the author

Jill Sanders

196 books2,098 followers
Jill Sanders is a New York Times, USA Today, and international bestselling author of Sweet Contemporary Romance, Romantic Suspense, Western Romance, and Paranormal Romance novels. With 100 books in eleven series, translations into several different languages, and audiobooks there’s plenty to choose from. Look for Jill’s bestselling stories wherever romance books are sold or visit her at jillsanders.com


Jill comes from a large family with six siblings, including an identical twin. She was raised in the Pacific Northwest and later relocated to Colorado for college and a successful IT career before discovering her talent for writing sweet and sexy page-turners. After Colorado, she decided to move south, living in Texas and now making her home along the Emerald Coast of Florida. You will find that the settings of several of her series are inspired by her time spent living in these areas. She has two sons and off-set the testosterone in her house by adopting three furry little ladies that provide her company while she’s locked in her writing cave. She enjoys heading to the beach, hiking, swimming, wine-tasting, and pickleball with her husband, and of course writing. If you have read any of her books, you may also notice that there is a love of food, especially sweets! She has been blamed for a few added pounds by her assistant, editor, and fans… donuts or pie anyone?

https://www.tiktok.com/@jillsandersau...

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5 stars
112 (58%)
4 stars
59 (30%)
3 stars
18 (9%)
2 stars
2 (1%)
1 star
2 (1%)
Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews
Profile Image for Micky Cox.
2,317 reviews38 followers
February 12, 2020
He's a veteran with a ton of baggage singing his way across the states living in a beat up van, she's a home town gal that has never wanted to be anywhere else. When their paths cross, electricity sparks and the story is off and running! Great characters, superb storyline with a nice amount of steam to get your heart pumping! While you absolutely could read this as a stand alone book, the entire series is worth your time and entertainment to read!
Profile Image for Jill Sanders.
Author 196 books2,098 followers
January 21, 2020
Loved going back to the small town of Fairplay Texas and this wonderful family!
Profile Image for Sherry.
1,006 reviews71 followers
March 6, 2020
Loved returning to the town of Fairplay Texas and its wonderful residents. Loved Trace and Emma together and how Emma and her family helped Trace on his road to recovery and healing. A heartwarming romance with some sizzle and steam. This was a very enjoyable read.
Profile Image for Kirstie Ibrahim.
1,865 reviews20 followers
February 8, 2020
The broken soldier and the small town sweetheart bring us back to Texas.

Emma our sweetheart is the daughter of Lauren and Chase from the very first West Series book, Loving Lauren. We know the town and some of the characters but this is a new branch of characters but with the same loving family feel.

This is a loving, heartwarming story with some sizzle on the side. Broken people can heal with love and support around them.
Profile Image for Sylvia.
1,578 reviews75 followers
April 6, 2020
I loved this book!! Great story!! Haven't read the other books in the series!! Will read the other books in the series!! 1st book I have read by this author will read more of her books!!
1,476 reviews6 followers
March 8, 2020
He is broken, she is a sweetheart.
They meet, when he sings at her birthday party.
He has an accident that night and she is there with her family to help him.
He never got so much kindness from people in his life as he got in this small town.
Emma and Trace are amazing.

This story is so wonderful, characters are wonderful.
1,382 reviews10 followers
February 9, 2020
I truly enjoyed reading it!
Saving Trace, is an engaging, moving
& feel good story. Great characters
& romance makes the perfect read.
Trace ❤ Emma, steal your heart from
the very first pages to the last.
I loved everything about the book!!
970 reviews4 followers
March 2, 2020
Such a great story. I only wish there was more to it!!

Trace is out of the military with nowhere to go. Emma is looking forward to setting roots on her family's land. A singing gig and a birthday song bring these two together.

Loved the story.
Profile Image for NanaX8.
2,477 reviews66 followers
March 2, 2020
An absolutely delightful love story that shows a man who has been thru the wringer that there is truly a place where people genuinely care and that love isn't just a fairy tale. Loved it!!!
245 reviews1 follower
March 10, 2020
A broken solider finds himself, love, and a family in this story! It’s great to be back in Texas, this is the next generation for the West gang. Trace has BAGGAGE, but with Emma by his sideTrace learns how to trust others and open himself to others love and support. Great story
Profile Image for Suzanne.
817 reviews5 followers
February 16, 2020
Trace found himself back in the US after his tour of service with no home to come back to. He was touring around from bar to bar, town to town playing a guitar and just making enough money to stay alive, but he was happier than he had been in a long time and free.

A gig in the Rusty Rail, playing for Emma's birthday party was to change his whole life. Driving out of town Trace nearly hit a dear, and in the process ran himself off the road wrecking his van. Luckily for him Emma was the tail lights go off the road near her parents ranch and was there to rescue him with the help of her family.

Trace finally got to understand the meaning of family and home. The Grahams helped him more than he thought he deserved, giving him a temporary job to help get his van fixed, and a roof over his head while he got himself together.

Lovely story. The Grahams and their extended family are so warm and welcoming to someone in need, and changed Trace's life for the better.
Profile Image for ZETTER.
1,157 reviews23 followers
March 13, 2020
You Surprised Me!!!

Trace Butler was a Marine who had loads of baggage, he met a kind woman named Dorothy whk took a chance on him. Fast forward five months later, and he found himself living out of his van. He moved around the states singing from bar to bar in order to survive. Music was his escape from his demons. He found himself in Fairplay playing at Rusty Rail for Emma Graham's birthday party. On his way out of town, he nearly hit a deer and crashed his van, which was wrecked.

Emma Graham, daughter of Lauren and Chase ( LOVING LAUREN ) always has a way to recognizing damaged souls. On her twenty-one birthday, he family throw her a party and invited the most handsome man she'd even seen to sing at the event. There was a mutual attraction between the two when they laid their eyes on each other.

Trace was hurting and she wanted to help him. Em wasn't the only one that wanted what was best for him. Her parents as well were worried about him. They made sure he knew that he was loved and appreciated. They offered him a place to stay and gave him a job until he was able to get back on his feet.

Their hospitality and gestures touched him deeply. As he and Em grew closer, he weighed his prons and cons of staying in Fairplay, Texas. The more time he spent with Em and her family the more he wanted to stay and that notion scared. No mater how scared he was, she didn't let him push her away.

On the contrary, Emma showed him that loving him was worth it. His music career took off and his beloved couldn't be happier for him. Seeing Tessa and Lucas ( TESSA'S TURN ) back in Fairplay, they wanted to work with Trace. The latter made his intentions clear to Em about their future.

Emma and Trace got their HEA and much more! ;)

SAVING TRACE is the tenth book in Jill Sanders' WEST series. It was a treat to head back to Fairplay and catch up some old characters and meet new ones. What an amazingly heartwarming, fun and intriguing ride. Jill Sanders did a marvelous job. Two thumbs up!
34 reviews2 followers
May 19, 2024
This is my first book by the author. And I didn’t think it was a great read at all. I’ve read worse but this felt like it needed more editing and more fleshing out the story. The first part is pretty good that leads into the story and you get to know the guy Trace, but the more you read the choppier it gets. Emma is a the sweetest most perfect 21 yo who likes to rescue broken things and shortly after meeting Trace says “you’re broken” right to his face which he doesn’t seem bothered by. The first half is ok but then It started to jump around (Trace and Emma were in the kitchen getting busy and the next thing they’re in bed? I backtracked but couldn’t find any mention of leaving the kitchen) and then the pacing got faster and the ending was really rushed and switched from Trace’s music career to suddenly having to become a guardian to his 5 yo brother?? This was all in the last 10% of the book and wrapped up very quickly filing papers for guardianship, completely accepting a bribe for an undisclosed amount of money for said guardianship from his junkie mother. Then a quick marriage proposal to wrap everything up which the little brother overhears after being with them for only 2-3 days and bam! One big happy family. Not a satisfying story.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
301 reviews20 followers
May 5, 2021
Trace has just left the military, and has a lot of baggage from that and residuals from a traumatic childhood. He's been wandering from town to town, picking up singing gigs whenever he can, basically just surviving day to day. Emma lives in the same town she grew up in, lives on her parents' ranch, and works in a bookstore. They first meet when he's hired to play at her 21st birthday party, and then later she and her dad rescue him when he gets into an accident trying to avoid hitting a deer. The family basically adopts him, feeding him, giving him a home, and love. Slowly he realizes that they've saved him, shown him how good things can and should be.

I've not read any of the rest of the series yet, but now Wil try to find the earlier books!
Profile Image for Julia David.
2,496 reviews25 followers
March 28, 2020
I just love Trace. He is so broken and doesn't know where he belongs. When he plays for a birthday party, he finds Emma. Emma just looks at Trace and know he is lost. She is good at finding lost people. Can she help Trace find himself? Her family opens their arms and home to Trace and he doesn't know what to think. No one has ever been that good to him. When his mother surprises him, he isn't sure if Emma will tell him to go away or let him stay.
1,537 reviews5 followers
May 25, 2024
Heartbreaking

Chase had a heartbreaking childhood, then lost his best friend in the military. He's drifting and lost. After a car accident on his way out of town, his life is about to change. Emma is the opposite, great childhood, loving parents and bone deep love of her home and town. She's about to change everything for both of them. Well told, easy to read. Sweet and hopeful.
Profile Image for Stephanie Herron.
741 reviews12 followers
March 11, 2020
Oh goodness! I have no idea where to begin as I really enjoyed this story. I was hooked from the beginning and nearly stayed up way too late to finish it. As a mom, my heart broke for Trace so many times, smiled when Emma and her family basically adopted him and wanted to slap his mother for the way she treated him. This book and his story will stay with you for a long time.
1,625 reviews6 followers
March 25, 2020
What a wonderful story of finding love, support and family after having a difficult childhood and dealing with pain from the loss of his good friend. Loved the relationship between Emma & Trace and how welcoming her family and the town were to Trace. Forming a family including Christopher made a great HEA.
Profile Image for Barbara "Cookie" Serfaty Williams.
2,705 reviews5 followers
April 27, 2023
Saving Trace (The West Series Book 10)

The love story of Trace and Emma. Trace has been a rolling stone since he left the Army. He did not have a good childhood. Now he is in Fairplay and his life is turning around. First he meets Emma and then his music take off. Can life get any better? Great story.
30 reviews
June 8, 2020
Wow, what a great read that evokes many emotions from the reader, including happy tears at the end. Being a military wife, I could really relate to Trace. I hope to read more of Trace and Emma’s future story!
25 reviews
January 5, 2022
Great story

I love this story, it fits today’s time, it’s feel with hope, love, kindness.
I love the fact, a lonely ex-marine can find love, start a new life with the help and of a girl and her family.
Profile Image for Luiz Kage.
11 reviews8 followers
March 18, 2020
Very interested
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
1,227 reviews
April 15, 2020
A great read with lots of emotions. Love Traces story and you could really feel for him. Bringing little Christopher into the story was a great touch.
4 reviews
April 15, 2020
Loved it.

Loved catching on the West family. Trace and Emma's story was so touching, I couldn't put the book down. It had me balling.
Profile Image for Sharon.
2,005 reviews
Want to read
March 31, 2025
Purchased in epub format from Barnes and Noble for my Nook.
Profile Image for Shirley.
846 reviews
December 20, 2021
Another brilliant read

Another brilliant read from Jill. Trace and Emma story is so enjoyable after all Trace has been through finding Emma was a godsend, playing for her 21st birthday was the start of a beautiful friendship and relationship, Emma is so like her aunt Hayley I think as she falls for broken strays and Trace is certainly broken from his childhood and the military he has scars but with Em's love he can heal. Loved this read can’t wait to read this next generation of West series
Profile Image for Tracey Warren.
632 reviews
November 8, 2021
A heart warming story

Loved this! Trace and Emma different worlds, experiences, paths and hearts cross. Finding each other, Emma recognising Trace has issues and talent, plus the complications of family hers good, his not so much and you get a great visit back into the West Series. Thoroughly enjoyed it.
432 reviews11 followers
March 30, 2021
Saving Trace is the tenth book in Jill's West Series. The book is well written and enjoyable.
Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews

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