This wasn’t my favorite. It felt very long for not very much happening. The mystery of what happened kept me going but this took me longer than it should to get through.

Tracey Lange wrote another enjoyable book. This is my favorite of hers. Kyle McCray returns home to Potsdam after his dad has a stroke to help him out. He has been gone for two and a half years. So much is packed into this story about Kyle and Casey who were childhood sweethearts that married and divorced.so what happened to the McCrays? They seem like the perfect couple.
A wonderful emotional read about family drama, trade by, grief and love all mixed together. Thank you to NetGalley and Celadon books for the copy.

This book broke my heart into a million pieces, and I loved it so much that it's a contender for my favorite book of the year.

What Happened To The McCrays is a beautiful, tender and emotional story of a marriage torn apart by pain and grief. When Kyle gets word that his dad has suffered a stroke, he must go home to upstate New York and face his ex-wife Casey and the town he abandoned 2.5 years ago. Kyle and Casey, broken and troubled, leapt off the page and into my heart. I could feel their pain, and I cried multiple times while reading. But underneath it all I felt hope. These characters needed healing and closure, and I so desperately wanted them to be ok.

The best way to go into this book is not knowing much about it. The story unfolds slowly, and you get the sense that there's so much you don't know. But as more and more information comes to light, your understanding of the characters grows, and things start to make a lot more sense.

This book was a very heavy read, and I found myself having to take breaks when the emotions got to be too much. But I wouldn't change a thing about it. It was a story of love, of shattered dreams, hope, resiliency, community and family. I highly, highly recommend this book.

When Kyle McCray receives word that his father has suffered a debilitating stroke, he returns to his hometown of Potsdam in upstate New York with no expectation of a warm welcome. Two and a half years earlier, Kyle burned a lot of bridges when he abruptly left town abandoning his dad, his friends, the employees at the garage he owned and Casey, his wife of sixteen years.

Apologies are made, responsibility is taken and before long Kyle is given an opportunity to redeem himself by taking on coaching the struggling middle school hockey team. He starts to think about moving back to Potsdam but knows that it's only possible if Casey doesn't object to his staying.

A "then" and "now" dual timeline story from both Kyle and Casey's points-of-view shows the start of their relationship as highschool sweethearts and continues up until the point that Kyle left town slowly revealing what happened to the McCrays at the same time as they confront the pain of their broken marriage and try to make peace with the past in the current timeline.

What Happened to the McCrays is an emotional family drama - both heartbreaking and hopeful. I was fully invested in this poignant story of family and community, love and loss, regret, forgiveness and redemption. The characters are sympathetic and you can't help but root for them, the small town experience is authentic, and I loved the middle school hockey players and the adorable dog. This is the first book that I have read by this author and it was quite an enjoyable read - I'll definitely pick up the author's previous two books now!

Thanks to NetGalley and Celadon Books for sending a digital ARC of this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

I loved Tracey Lange's last book and was so excited to receive a new copy of this one -- one of my most anticipated books of 2025! This one did not disappoint, I loved it so much and it's a hard one to review because I felt so invested! This was easily one of my favorite reads of the year.

I love how Tracey Lange writes complicated family dynamics and very emotional situations -- she handles very hard subjects in a graceful way. This book deals with many very sad things, but I couldn't put it down and loved it so much.

I felt for both Kyle and Casey and could see both of their points of view. I loved both characters and badly wanted things to work out for each of them.

I recommend this one to anyone who loves books that get under your skin and really make you feel, and who can handle being sad while reading. I am so excited to read whatever Tracey Lange reads in the future!

Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced copy of this book!

All the stars and then some!🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

Looking for a family drama to lose yourself in this weekend? This is THAT book!

For the past two years Kyle and Casey McCray have been estranged, with Kyle moving across the country. But when his father falls ill, Kyle must make his way back home. And face the demons that have been haunting him.

There is so much love and history between this couple. I adored their stories and felt the profound pain they carried.

Can they heal themselves and make their way back to each other? Or are they destined once again to live separate lives.

This was such a beautifully crafted and emotional read. It’s been a long, long time since a book has brought me to tears. This one managed to on several occasions.

This book will definitely be making its way onto my favorites shelf! Highly recommend!

Thank you to NetGalley and Celadon Books.

When his father suffers a stroke, Kyle McCray find himself reluctantly back in his small hometown of Potsdam, New York. Kyle hasn't seen his father, his friends, or his ex-wife, Casey, since he left. He wants more than anything to get his father back on his feet quickly and leave again as quickly as possible. But when his father's recovery ends up being much more serious than previously expected, Kyle will be forced to face the people he left behind and come to terms with the events that caused him to leave.

What Happened to the McCrays is a story about redemption, grief, and moving on. Lange's books are brilliant, character driven stories that truly resonate with readers. Filled with complex family drama (the good kind), second chances, and small-town hockey - this story will invoke all the emotions.

Tracey Lange is officially an auto read author for me and each of her books just gets better and better. I ended up primarily listening to this on audio, and 10/10 recommend the audiobook narrated by Stephanie Memeth-Parker and William DeMerit.

TW: Child Death

What Happened to the McCrays? comes out January 14, 2025. Thank you to Celadon Books and Macmillan Audio for my advanced copy in exchange for my review. If you liked this review, please let me know either by commenting below or by visiting:
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Kyle McCray left Home 2 1/2 years ago, he left it all behind, his wife, his dad, his brother-in-law, his business, his friends and the familiarity of his hometown… why?


This was a book of love, loss, friendship, forgiveness, and deep healing, and how a tragedy affects everyone.

We get to learn throughout the pages what had happened, the author had such a beautiful way of revealing what you needed to know when you needed to know it. So much healing throughout the pages.

My first book by this author, but absolutely definitely not my last

Title: What Happened to the McCrays?   
Author: Tracey Lange         
Genre:  Fiction       
Rating:  4.5 out of 5

When Kyle McCray gets word his father has suffered a debilitating stroke, he returns to his hometown of Potsdam, New York, where he doesn’t expect a warm welcome. Kyle left suddenly two and a half years ago, abandoning people who depended on his father, his employees, his friends—not to mention Casey, his wife of sixteen years and a beloved teacher in town. He plans to lie low and help his dad recuperate until he can leave again, especially after Casey makes it clear she wants him gone.

The longer he’s home, the more Kyle understands the impact his departure has had on the people he left behind. When he’s presented with an opportunity for redemption as the coach of the floundering middle school hockey team, he begins to find compassion in unexpected places. Kyle even considers staying in Potsdam, but that’s only possible if he and Casey can come to some kind of peace with each other.

I really enjoyed this read! Potsdam, and life there, kind of made my skin crawl—not really a fan of the whole small-town life—but it felt very realistic and believable. I loved how things built slowly between Kyle and Casey, allowing us to see things unfolding in the past and the present, without it feeling rushed or unbelievable.

Tracey Lange lives in Oregon. What Happened to the McCrays? is her newest novel.

(Galley courtesy of Celadon Books in exchange for an honest review.)

(Blog link live 1/14).

I loved this book just as I have Lange's others. It's a wonderful story about Kyle, who returns home to small town New York after his father suffers a stroke. Kyle had left over two years ago when his marriage fell apart. He didn't realize or didn't process how much his leaving had impacted those who loved him. It's a story of struggle and redemption on many levels. The characters are wonderful including several side characters that are memorable and deeply developed. I love Lange's writing. It's easy but not simple and pulls you along in a warm tug. Highly recommend. 4.5 starts rounding up to 5!

Thank you, Netgalley and Celadon, so much.

When I finished this novel, I let the story resonate within me. It is a deeply moving and emotional story of a deeply in love separated couple who had grown apart with a chasm so wide that there was no way to cross it. The story is filled with so much sadness and yet there are moments of joy, also. The “Then” and “Now’ chapters delicately tie together so as to portray the absolute depth of the character’s emotions and actions.It is a definitely not to miss novel.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of the book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Mesmerized from the first few pages. I liked the back and forth between timelines. The characters are rich and wounded. The relationships were written so well. Lange is a must-read author. Huge fan of this book!

Y’all, there is not a thing I’d change about this book except to undo the heartbreak that they have to bear.

❤️‍🩹

📚 If you read Lange’s other books, We Are the Brennans and The Connellys of County Down, this one follows her same writing style of a slow burn family drama following the struggle and heartache of everyday life.

📖 In What Happened to the McCrays, Kyle McCray returns home after being away for two years to take care of his father, forcing him to confront why he left and try to get his life back.

I read this one in small doses over two weeks as I didn’t want it to end. I got the sense of what had happened to Kyle fairly early on, but I really wasn’t sure how his life was going to turn out until the end.

🧑🏻‍🔧🏒 Kyle is just your average guy, high school hockey star turned mechanic who falls for the girl next door. His heartache is not all that uncommon, but is still tragic to read. I think that’s what makes this book so special.

I connected to this book so much, but cannot explain why without giving away a major plot point. But that plot point is a major trigger for some, so be warned if you need.

✨ This one hits shelves January 14th!! ✨

Thanks so much to @celadonbooks for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review. 🩷

I’m a Tracey Lange Stan and I’ve loved all 3 of her books so far, but this may have bumped We Are the Brennans down from the #1 spot.

Tracey Lange has an incredible talent for crafting raw, heart-wrenching stories about love, family, and grief. Her storytelling is so compelling, and no two families ever feel the same. She has a gift for bringing these families and their situations to life.

This is a story about a divorced couple from a small town being forced to see each other again due to a family emergency after a few years apart. You spend the book getting to know the main characters, getting to experience them falling in love and getting married, and then ultimately, the tragic fallout.

I thought I guessed what went wrong multiple times and boy, was I off. This was a painful read with massive triggers (to list them would be a spoiler, but please proceed with caution). I thought the reveal in We Are the Brennans was heartbreaking but that was nothing compared to this story. My heart actually hurt and I cried for these characters. By the end, my heart was more or less healed and this is a powerful story that moved me. This will stay with me for a long time.

This had the perfect winter setting and it’s definitely a timely release. I recommend reading this as soon as it publishes on 1/14/25. ❄️

Thank you NetGalley for the e-ARC and Celadon books for the early copy.

I’m trying to write a biased review given how much I loved Lange’s first two books. Well, I loved this so take it how you like…. Once again I binged it there was no putting it down. Not because it’s a nail biter or a plot that moves fast but just because I love being around and enveloped by her characters. This is very much a Kevin and Casey show as opposed to her other two books of siblings with more equal playing time with them all so it felt a little less intricate. Definitely more back and forth as the history is revealed and we come to understand how the pieces fit together. Regardless, highly recommend!!

This was a winter setting family drama and my first novel by this author. The book posed an answer to the eternal question - Can you go home again?

Kyle returns to his rural hometown in upstate NY to help his father after a recent stroke. He left abruptly a few years ago, leaving his community and his wife, following a tragic event. Needing to earn some money during his stay, he is given the opportunity to coach a failing middle school hockey team, located at the same school where his ex-wife is a teacher.

As a hockey mom I enjoyed how much the sport was interwoven into this plot. However, I otherwise found the storyline and characters rather predictable.

Thank you to NetGalley and Celadon Books for an e-book for me to review!

What Happened to the McCrays? by Tracey Lange is a poignant story about love, loss, and family. This one definitely tugs on the heartstrings. I just love her real and raw characters set in real life situations.

Tracey Lange is unmatched in capturing the messy and relatable drama of families and this book is no exception. I fell in love with Tracey Lange’s writing with her debut novel, We Are the Brennans. (I love the reference to the Brennans in here!)

This was an emotional one for me. My heart just broke over and over again, especially for Casey. I mean, how much heartache can one person endure in their lifetime?!? I enjoyed the story being told in dual timelines of the past and present so you see the whole relationship arc of Kyle and Casey. And I especially loved the youth hockey team in the story, since both of my boys played at about that same age.

If you’re looking for a family-centered drama then I highly recommend that you read this one and either, or both, of Tracey’s other two books.

Tracey Lange is 3 for 3 when it comes to five star ratings but this is definitely my fav so far.

Please check trigger warnings if there are topics that could be harmful to you as a reader but if there aren’t i recommend going in blind.

This book is a powerful story of grief and community, while all wrapped in a love story. There is absolutely nothing negative I can say. Loved loved loved

What Happened to the McCrays? by Tracey Lange ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Celadon Books
Pub Date: 1-14-25

Thank you @netgalley, @celadonbooks, and @tracey_lange for this eARC.

"Small towns don’t forgive easily. And even when they do, they never forget."

Following his father's stroke, Kyle McCray returns to his hometown after leaving without goodbyes two and a half years ago.

Why did he leave and essentially cut ties with his father, ex-wife, brother-in-law, friends, and the community? Will they ever forgive him? Can he rebuild the trust and love of those he abandoned?

This story hooked me from the very start and completely stole my heart. Ugh! I couldn’t hold back the tears during the last 30%. What is it about storylines with kids and hockey that always get to me?

I fell in love with these characters and held on to hope throughout the story that they would eventually find their way back to each other—especially after learning what happened to the McCrays.

This is definitely a story I’ll revisit—a true love story in many forms. This was my first book by Tracey Lange, and it certainly won’t be my last.

#whathappenedtothemccrays #traceylange #celadonbooks #netgalley

Thank you Celadon for the eGalley!

Another hit by Lange! I have read her previous novels and love the way she explores family dynamics. WHAT HAPPENED TO THE MCCRAYS is her most atmospheric book that would be perfect to add to your winter tbr. This book explores the grief of a loved one, divorce, and really at the front of this story is the community surrounding our MCs.

The author executed the pacing and plot well, and perfectly wrapped up the ending to my liking.

I would highly recommend!

4-4.5 stars!

I will post my full review on my Instagram page closer to pub day.