This is the story of Kyle McCray, who has to return home to take care of his dad after he suffers from a debilitating stroke. Kyle left town over two years ago and had not been planning to come back. He's pretty sure he's not welcome back.

This is the story of grief, loss, family, forgiveness, shame, and so much love. It's a reminder that things are rarely what they seem and a reminder of all the things we give up in the name of caring for someone else, only to hurt them in the process. It's a reminder that suffering in silence is never as effective as suffering and healing together. Some losses are too big but even those, especially those, need the company of grace and love.

This is a very slow-burning story and entirely character-driven. If this is the type of story you are looking for, I recommend this book.

This is the second book I have read from this author and it was just as good if not better than the first one. I like the way this author can create flawed characters and create something so transformative and beautiful. This author made me feel and experience so many things throughout this book. I have "We are the Brennan's" in my TBR and will be moving it up. Thanks for the ARC, NetGalley.

Short synopsis: Kyle left town 2.5 years ago, leaving his job, wife and father behind. He returns to town after his dad has a stroke. Helping his dad recover and volunteering for a junior hockey league, Kyle is looking for redemption.

My thoughts: Tracey writes such beautiful stories with flawed characters that feel so lifelike. I adored the second chance for Kyle as he went back to his home town, a second chance at life and at love.

This story is filled with pain, loss, and grief, but the underlying theme is forgiveness, growth, and healing.

I also adored how much Casey cared for the hockey team, she was so invested in their success. True teacher through and through!

Read if you love:
* Complex characters
* Grief and healing
* Second chances
* Hockey town
* Family drama

TW: death of a child, grief, depression, suicide, family estrangement

What Happened to the McCrays? follows Kyle McCray returning to Potsdam, New York, after getting news that his father had a stroke. He disappeared two and a half years ago, abandoning his father, his employees, his friends, and most importantly, his wife, Casey, of sixteen years. He decides to lie low for a while and help his dad as much as he can because Casey made it clear that she wants Kyle gone. The longer he's home, the more he realizes how much of an impact his leaving had on his people. To have his redemption, he decides to coach for a struggling middle school hockey team, and starts to find compassion in the least expected places. He starts to consider staying in Potsdam, but that's only if he and Casey come to find some peace.

After reading and loving The Connellys of County Down, I decided to pick up this one. I realized Lange is now an auto-buy author for me. There is something about Lange's writing that is absolutely stunning and heartbreaking at the same time. From the very beginning, you feel invested in Kyle and Casey. The story is told from Kyle and Casey's perspectives, but you do have the then and now chapters. I love the "then" chapters because you learn that Kyle and Casey are high school sweethearts, and the story takes you on their journey up until Kyle leaves. You learn why Kyle leaves and what Casey went through after he left. These characters are portrayed as flawed, with complex emotions filled with grief and guilt, who can still love and would do anything for the people they truly care about. You root for Casey and Kyle the whole time you're reading this book because it jumps off the page at how much they truly love and care for each other.

Overall, this book is hard-hitting and amazing at the same time. Lange handles these tough topics with care and well-done representation. If you're a character-driven person, this one's for you.

Tracey Lange's What Happened to the McCrays? is one of those novels that just pulls you right into its world. What really stood out to me was the tone and the setting; Lange perfectly captures the feeling of a Rust Belt town in upstate New York. It's got that authentic, lived-in atmosphere that makes the place feel like a character itself.
Right from the start, the central mystery of the McCrays grabs you. This is definitely a book that keeps you reading because you genuinely want to find out what happened. Lange does a great job of peeling back the layers of the past and the town's secrets, making it easy to get lost in the unfolding events. If you appreciate a story where the "where" is as important as the "who" and the "what," you'll likely enjoy this one.

What Happened to the McCrays? was a super interesting read. I loved the character study and the writing felt propulsive. I'd read more from the author.

I absolutely loved this story. My heart aches for these characters and they have stuck with me long after I finished this book. I have a 10 year old boy, so this hit differently....but I loved it so much. Can't recommend this enough.

Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5 / 5

This was such an emotional story. Packed with family drama, romance, and unforgettable friendships, it delivered layers of emotion I didn’t anticipate.

From the start, we sense that something devastating happened in Kyle McCray’s past—something that makes returning to his hometown unbearable. He’s forced back after his father suffers a stroke, while his ex-wife, Casey, dreads his arrival for reasons that slowly come to light. It’s clear they still love each other, but we’re left wondering: What happened to the McCrays?

Told through dual timelines, the story slowly unravels Kyle and Casey’s love story, building a quiet suspense around the moment everything fell apart. When the truth is finally revealed, it’s heartbreaking. My heart ached repeatedly—especially for Casey, who carried unimaginable grief and guilt for years.

The characters feel achingly real—flawed, vulnerable, and doing their best. The sibling bond between Casey and Wyatt stole my heart. Their quiet sacrifices and unwavering support for each other were some of the most moving moments in the book. The friendships, too, are beautifully written—genuine, messy, and rooted in care.

This is a poignant, heart-aching, and ultimately hopeful novel about family, forgiveness, and the long shadow of trauma. It explores how past pain shapes us, and how second chances don’t erase wounds, but sometimes help us begin to heal.

Loved, loved, loved this. Can’t wait to dive into more of Tracey Lange’s work.

Thank you to Celadon Books for the gifted ARC via NetGalley.

#WhatHappenedToTheMcCrays #TraceyLange #CeladonReads #FamilyDrama #SecondChances

I read this book a while ago, but as I sit down to write my review, the first thing I'm reminded of is how real and authentic the characters and their emotions felt.

After going through something devastating, Kyle flees his hometown of Potsdam, New York and moves all the way across the country. But when he gets news that his father has suffered a stroke, he decides to return and is forced to confront everything he left behind. While the plot itself is quite simple and isn't entirely new - two people that love each other struggling to get past their shared trauma - the strength of this book is in its execution. Every character, including the supporting ones, feel fully realized, and the journey of their growth and healing is captured with the right amount of sensitivity.

If I had to compare this book to a movie, 'Marriage Story' comes to mind. It’s slow and yet intentional. It explores the love, loss and painful complexities of a relationship with raw honesty.

This was a good family drama that Tracey Lange is known for. I'm glad I read it, but not a favorite of the year.

Emotional story of a couple trying to cope with the end of their marriage and the tragedy that precipitated it. The author did a good job portraying the sense of community in the small upstate New York setting. Both of the main characters were flawed and so enveloped in their victim hood that it was at times, difficult to sympathize with them but ultimately it didn't detract from the story

Everyone was raving about What Happened to the McCrays and it totally delivered. It’s a heartfelt story about family and healing with plenty of messy drama that pulled me right in. Seriously, I couldn’t put it down and it's definitely one of those reads you’ll think about for a while.

This was such a beautifully crafted and emotional read.

The book is a masterful storytelling model. It shows us pieces of the past, including how Kyle and Casey fell in love, married, and built a life in town. We learn how Kyle takes care of the people he loves, and Casey internalizes her feelings. We learned what tore Kyle and Casey apart. This author write about family and relationships in an authentic and compelling way.

Presented from the perspectives of Kyle and Casey, the narrative allows us to understand our main characters and their innermost thoughts and emotions in great depth and you cannot help but feel invested in their journeys – both as individuals and as a couple. The secondary characters are also well-developed and each of them has a significant role to play, including Star, the family dog whose reactions to Kyle and the shifting dynamics within the family are sensitively depicted.

Definitely recommended for those who enjoy character-driven fiction.

I loved this book from the very first pages. It is an emotional story about family: drama and grief. I love how this author can bring us characters that you can so deeply connect to, and I love how her storytelling brings to you all the emotions and feelings that attach you to the story. This story grabs your heart and doesn't let go. I highly recommend and will look to read all and anything Tracey Lange writes! Thank you Net Galley for allowing me the opportunity to read this beautiful book!

What Happened to the MacCrays is a solid family drama with a touch of mystery—perfect for a weekend read when you want something that keeps you mildly curious but doesn’t demand too much brainpower. The writing flows well, and the premise has that “small-town secrets” vibe that makes you want to keep turning pages.

The characters are interesting enough, though not especially memorable. There are emotional moments and some nice reflections on family, guilt, and forgiveness, but it all felt a bit surface-level. I kept waiting for a twist or a deeper payoff that never quite came.

It’s not bad at all—just not particularly gripping or unique. Think of it like a decent Netflix drama: enjoyable while it lasts, but you’ll probably forget most of it a week later.

If you like quiet, character-driven stories with a light touch of suspense, this one’s worth picking up. Just manage your expectations.

I had high expectations for this one and it was good but not great. It kept me engaged but it was missing something.

Kyle McCray is off to his hometown after his father has a terrible stroke. He has been away from his hometown for two years. He left in a hurry and didn’t look back. Those he left behind are still bitter and he knows he will have more to contend with than his ailing father. His ex-wife is still there; the one he left as he went on with his life somewhere else.

Once there, he realizes fairly quickly how much of an impact it made on those he left behind. He, among others, begin to deal with the emotional aspects of life and love and all things in between. I found myself supporting him even though I didn’t want to at times; other times I did!

The characters are very well done! This is my first book by Lange and I will definitely read more! Characters are very important to me when I am objectively analyzing a book. Whether I like them or not, they have to be characters I get to know. This is accomplished with this book.

Thanks to NetGalley and Celadon Books for the ARC of this one.

I really enjoyed this book as I enjoy Tracey Lange books. I hope they keep coming! One of my favorite new authors.

Tracey Lange has done it again - and this time, she made me sob not once, not twice, but three times. There’s something about the way she writes that just gets me, every time. Her characters are never tidy, never easy, but always deeply human.

In What Happened to the McCrays?, Lange dives headfirst into themes of grief, second chances, and the complicated knots of family loyalty. The emotional landscape is raw and real. These characters mess up, sometimes badly, but you root for them anyway. You have to. Because under all the pain and dysfunction is a fierce, undeniable love.

There’s a particular beauty in the way Lange writes connection - between spouses, siblings, parents and children, old friends - with all its jagged edges and grace. This story aches, but it also heals. It reminds you that sometimes the most broken people are the ones most worth holding on to.
If you love emotionally resonant stories about flawed people trying their best to find their way back to each other, this one will stay with you. Just keep tissues nearby.

Thank you to Netgalley and Celadon for the advance copy. All opinions are entirely my own.

Need a family drama to get lost in this weekend? This is the one.

After two years of estrangement, Kyle McCray returns home when his father falls ill — and finds himself face-to-face with Casey, the woman he left behind and never truly stopped loving.

Their story is full of history, heartache, and deep love. I was completely drawn in by the emotion they both carried — and yes, this book brought me to tears more than once.

Beautifully written and deeply moving, this is a story about love, loss, and whether second chances are ever really possible.