Kyle McCray left his hometown of Potsdam, NY and severed ties to his family. But when he learns his father has had a stroke, he heads back from the West Coast to the place he grew up. His return isn’t an easy one. Less than three years earlier, he had abruptly taken off, abandoning his wife of 16 years, his thriving business and all his friends. Now he must face his past while trying to help his father recover.

Kyle and his former wife Casey can’t help but re-connect since she has been helping care for Kyle’s dad since he fell ill. She is a teacher, the manager of the middle school hockey team and the one who seems to keep everything running smoothly. But Casey has problems of her own that underly her appearance of stability. When Kyle was young he had been a star hockey player and upon his return, his old coach wants him to help with the boys’ team. Since he has time on his hands, Kyle agrees, despite it bringing him together with his ex-wife who’s currently the team manager.

From the very first scene we learn that Kyle is a good guy. Still, his sudden departure has baffled many in the small town and he isn’t sure how to explain his actions to them. Readers also wonder about why he left and what caused his strained relationship with his wife.

Lange has a talent for writing a story that flows beautifully and carries readers along on her journey. She lets her characters endear themselves through their frailties and foibles. We root for them to cope with their awkward and stressful relationships. Their problems unfold slowly and old tensions are revealed. The story is moving and touching as we learn about the circumstances of the demise of Kyle’s and Casey’s marriage. The answers we all seek are stated in the title and are squarely at the at the heart of the novel. One can’t help becoming invested in the character's interactions and the questions at the root of their estrangement. A remarkable and insightful novel by a talented writer.

This book is a heartwrenching, grab the tissues, 5 star read for me. Tracey Lange is truly a genius with writing about family dynamics.

What Happened to the McCrays follows Kyle and Casey before, during and after their divorce. Kyle returns home two years later to care for his dad who suffered a stroke.

This book is heart wrenching but filled with joy. With the POV of Kyle and Casey you hear both sides to their love and loss. My momma heart ached reading this. Tracey writes about family relation being hard and the beauty of healing.

Thank you MacMillian Audio and Celadon books for this advanced reader copy.

Tracey Lange is one of my favorite authors! I love her books, particularly the way she develops the characters. What Happened to the McCrays is an excellent book. I enjoyed getting to know the characters Casey, Kyle, Wyatt, and many others. The story is tough and shows how tragedies can impact entire communities. Well written and I’m ready for Tracey’s next book. Thank you to Netgalley for allowing me to read.

So many mixed emotions about this book. It is a solid story that is well written and emotional. I loved the male main character, his father, and his brother-in-law! I really really disliked the female main character and that made the story very difficult for me to read…….well that and the fact that I felt like I had read this story a few times before in a slightly different way. The FMC though, was just a little too self-centered and irritating to me and it affected the overall book. I will still read this authors next book because the good books have outweighed this one bad character (in my opinion) and the overall writing style is excellent!

I’ll admit this one took me a little bit to get through but, good things are worth waiting for.

Casey and Kyle – in love since he was 18 and been through so many ups and downs. Focus on the downs, Kyle has moved to the Pacific Northwest when he keeps getting calls from his hometown. His Dad has had a stroke and so he’s summoned back home. Home to bad memories and heartbreak. What happened to Kyle and Casey to break them so badly?

Tragic and heart wrenching- that’s why it took me so long to finish. The complexities of the heart are hard and truly complex. This story was raw and fresh and written as though the couple wrote it. It was really good and kept me invested. I really enjoyed it and think it’s worth your time as well. Awesome job Tracey! 4️⃣⭐️❗️

This fell just short of the mark for me. The main characters were almost fully drawn but more time could have been spent on the others (Danny and Wyatt). The tale is slow paced and bogged down in places with details that don't move the story along.

"What Happened to the McCrays?" was a captivating read that I thoroughly enjoyed. The love story between Kyle and Casey was beautifully written, and I loved how the "then and now" timeline allowed us to see both the sweet love story of their past and the heartbreaking reality of their present. The secondary characters—Danny, Kyle's dad, and Wyatt, Casey's brother—added interesting layers to the story. The only reason I couldn't quite give it a full five stars was the sheer amount of tragedy woven throughout. At times, their misfortunes almost felt relentless. However, I truly appreciated the raw and honest portrayal of marriage, showing both its beauty and its struggles in a way that felt incredibly real. Thank you to NetGalley and Celadon Books for providing me with a copy of this book.

I received a complimentary copy from the publisher and all opinions expressed are mine.

What a read! Shocking ,thrilling and fast paced. The book follows Kyle McCray who left two years ago leaving his family ,wife ,friends only to be called back when his father suffers a stroke. The book highlights the impact our actions have on the family and those we left behind.

What Happened to the McCrays? by Tracey Lange is my first book by this author, and it won’t be my last. This is a deep, emotional story about broken people. Kyle returns to help his father after a stroke, but he’s also dealing with the aftermath of a life-changing tragedy that led to him leaving his wife, Casey. The supporting characters are perfectly written, revealing the painful reasons behind Kyle and Casey’s fractured relationship. All will not be revealed quickly as you fall into the story of Kyle and Casey - stick with this emotional journey. This is a story that stays with you, with characters who feel so familiar you just want to fix their hurt and wish them the best. Lange takes gentle care with both her characters and her readers. I highly recommend this to fans of women’s fiction and book clubs.

Really enjoyed this book! I typically don’t reach for the contemporary fiction genre but I felt that this story was beautifully written and the characters were developed so well that I was emotionally invested in them. Thought it was a fun way to tell the story of letting parts of their past take time to unfold.

This book is about the McCray family. Kyle McCray has returned to his hometown of Potsdam, New York after hearing that his Dad has had a stroke. He has been gone from town for over two years due tomarital issues. His wife of 16 years, Casey, lives in this town as well. Kyle’s absence has
left the people he loves and cares about very bitter. He is trying to reconciliate these relationships in this book. This book is about love, loss and a strong sense of community. The book was a slow start for me but picked up a quarter of the way through. I enjoyed this book and recommend it. Thanks Net Galley for the early release of this book. I give it 4 stars.

"What Happened to the McCrays?" by Tracey Lange is a character-driven family drama that explores what happens in the relationship between a husband and wife as their relationship matures from high school dating to enduring traumatic events as a married couple. The plot focuses around the couple's separation and what happens when they are suddenly brought back together. Like Lange's other books, this one explores the bonds of family and the ties that bind through blood and choice and how characters' emotions shift through trauma and grief.

It's definitely a slower-paced book and can be hard to read at time, particularly for those who have suffered similar life situations as the characters. While I usually try to avoid spoilers, I feel like some readers might appreciate knowing that this book deals with traumatic childbirth and emergency hysterectomy, as well as the death of a child.

I had a hard time with the idea that these characters somehow belonged together because Casey seemed to sacrifice so much for her brother and husband, while her husband, Kyle, is described as feeling relieved that she isn't going to pursue her dreams of attending an ivy league school, can no longer have more children, and isn't pursuing grad school. I ended up feeling angry that just because he didn't have big goals and dreams for himself, he projected that onto the woman that he loved and felt secretly glad that she was living a smaller life for herself than she'd initially dreamed, even though she'd made her peace with that over time and found her purpose in caring for others. The hockey team storyline was also a bit challenging because even though Casey and Kyle work with a full team, focus is only given to a handful of children, who are very invested in their relationship.

It is well-written from an emotional standpoint, and the character development was fantastic. Each character had a distinct voice and web of emotions that was evident in a "show, don't tell" presentation in the plot. The book is structured in a way where we are, essentially, unraveling the threads of what happened to the McCrays over the course of the novel through "now" and "then" flashbacks. That choice made an otherwise somewhat common, though tragic, story play out in a way that was more gripping and able to hold the reader's attention. Had it been told linearly, I'm not sure that I would have been as invested.

I read this book in winter, and it was well-timed, as much of the plot centers around hockey and snowy small-town New York. While not a "feel-good" read by any stretch, "What Happened to the McCrays?" makes for a good winter read. Fans of emotional family drama stories and Lange's previous books will likely enjoy this one as well.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the advanced read.

Genre: Domestic Fiction
Publisher: Celadon Books
Pub. Date: Jan. 14, 2025

This character-driven novel has a gripping, bittersweet storyline that seamlessly blends hockey and domestic drama. You do not need to know anything about the game to follow along. Tracey Lange wrote a good tearjerker, but the overdone bodily images distracted me from the storyline. I read about the husband’s strong, tattooed arms far too often. It’s as if the author wants to emphasize his physical presence—very romance genre-like, which I didn’t think was needed.

The setting is a blue-collar fictitious town with hardworking residents who all appear to wear flannel shirts. You will understand what I mean if you grew up in a similar neighborhood. Lange’s descriptions are good enough to make you believe that she did. In “What Happened To The McCrays?” the author explores love, loss, grief, and regret.

We meet Casey McCray, a popular middle school teacher assisting the boy’s hockey team while the principal hunts for a new coach. We know she’s divorced and hurting, but we don’t know for sure why. Casey’s ex-husband, Kyle McCray, left home or ran away because he did not announce his departure or say goodbye to his father, ex-wife, or friends. The reader is meant to assume this was because of his divorce. Kyle receives a call informing him that his father had a stroke and that he needs to come home to help him. Kyle is worried about how his former neighbors will react to his return.

Lang pulls the reader into both protagonists’ lives, which are filled with so much grief that I felt connected to them and wished them a peaceful future. There is more to their stories, but it would be a spoiler if I explained it. However, I can say that the novel does not read like a romantic tale. I think this novel is in the women’s fiction genre, which I do not usually enjoy. Many others will love “What Happened to the McCrays?”

Thank you to Netgalley, Celandon Publishing for providing me a copy of What Happened to the McCrays by Tracey Lange. I am a fan of this author and read both of her previous books. I think this was the best book that I read of this author. Yes! This book was a slow start but, I am used to this happening with this author. This book is a contemporary book with romance combined. Kyle a highs school hockey star comes back home to help his dad have a stroke. His highs school sweetheart is a teacher in the local school. This book has well loved characters and romantic connections. I was surprised that there was no trigger warnings in this book about the death that occurred.

Tracey Lange never fails to draw me in. She is masterful at writing about family dynamics and is engaging from the get go. This may be my favorite book of hers. I can’t wait to see what she does next

Thank you to Netgalley and Celadon Books for the digital ARC in exchange for an honest review. This was one of my most anticipated releases of 2025 because I LOVED the author's book We Were the Brennans. This story of a small town divorced couple torn apart by grief and coming back together was emotional but felt too closely cut from the same formula as the author's first book which negatively impacted the reading experience for me. The romance aspects of the book were done well, but I did not feel as invested in the characters as I would have liked. I also appreciated the depictions of grief, but at times they felt unrealistic within the larger plot. This book would be good for those looking for something at the intersection of romance and a family saga, but it fell too flat for me since I had read her previous work that I felt was much stronger.

If you loved her other books, We Are the Brennans and The Connelly’s of County Down, you’ll love this one just as much! I blew through it in a couple days, completely consumed from the first page. Highly recommend! Thank you to @celadon and @netgalley for my copy!

Tracey Lange is fast becoming one of my must read authors. Her ability to immerse her readers in the lives of everyday people and problems in a realistic way makes for enjoyable literary fiction. Her characters are engaging and easy to care for.

Kyle McCray - left the family home over two years previously - feeling everyone would be better off without him. He was misguided, as he left a huge hole in the hearts and minds of his family, co-workers, and friends. Now, Kyle received word that his father has had a stroke. He drops everything and returns to his hometown of Potsdam, in upstate New York where he once owned a garage. Kyle is a talented mechanic. Kyle's new role as 'carer' for his Dad is a challenging one as he and his father have a fractious relationship. They have never really gotten along since Kyle's Mom walked out on the family when his was in eighth grade.

Casey McCray - now divorced from her husband Kyle, has never been the same since the death of her young son. She works as a teacher and volunteers as manager of the school's hockey team. She lives with her disabled brother, Wyatt, who has a successful woodworking business.

"Losing Charlie had created a chasm between them, and it was so dark and so wide and so bottomless they just couldn't reach each other again."

Kyle's father and Casey live across the street from one another. It is a given that once Kyle returns to help his Dad, that he will also run into Casey at one time or another. Their reunion is fraught with nerves and unspoken compassion. It was a uncomfortable experience.

As they gradually become a distant part of each other's lives, the once loving couple have to face some distressful home truths. Both parents blame themselves for what happened to their young son, Charlie. Both live with self-flagellation, grief, and sorrow. Gradually their innermost feelings and secrets are divulged. Their complex and complicated relationship is examined.

Kyle begins to re-connect to his former life in the town by filling in as coach for the middle school's hockey team. He is a natural who played hockey for several years. These young hockey players fill a void in Kyle's life and work as a bridge back to normality.

This well crafted story was told with compassion and empathy. It covers themes of parental grief, community, redemption, and forgiveness.

If you admire character-driven literary fiction with an engaging plot and characters, then you should definitely read Tracey Lange's work.

4.5 stars rounded up

This book resonated with me, not just for its gripping mystery, but for its powerful exploration of grief and the vital role of community in healing. The McCray family's tragedy is heartbreaking, and Lange skillfully peels back the layers of their pain, revealing the isolation and fractured connections that can follow such a devastating loss. What struck me most was how the story highlighted the importance of human connection in navigating grief. It's not just about individual healing, but about the shared experience and the strength found in supporting one another. The characters' journeys, their struggles to rebuild, and their eventual reliance on each other (and even unexpected members of their community) felt incredibly real and moving. Lange's writing is both sensitive and compelling, making this a truly unforgettable read. Highly recommend for anyone who appreciates a story that explores the complexities of family, loss, and the enduring power of community.

Lange writes beautifully about the hardships people face, but really outdid herself with this novel. Over the course of the story we find out what is going on with our estranged couple, Casey and Kyle. It is mysterious then heart wrenching and hopeful. You really don’t need to know anything more. The small town wintery setting of Potsdam, NY is close to home and well done. I loved the sense of community.