Kyle McCray's father has suffered a stroke and he must return home to care for him. His departure years earlier left many hard feelings with folks in the town, including his ex wife Casey. Casey is a beloved teacher . Kyle hoped to keep a low profile, but that isn't possible. He is asked to coach the middle school hockey team. The book looks at both sides of a failed marriage and the importance of community. Beautifully written and emotionally charged.

Wow. This was such a great book. The grief and everything they were going through felt so real. I definitely recommend this book to anyone who loves family dramas. Be prepared to cry! Thanks NetGalley for the ARC!

📖 BOOK REVIEW

📱 WHAT HAPPENED TO THE MCCRAYS? by Tracey Lange
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Genre: contemporary fiction
Did I cry: yeah i think
Publishes 1/14/25
My Goodreads review: “4.5⭐️ ended up looooving”

💭: i started this on audio and was enjoying it but not loving — which i think speaks to my lack of attention to the book and not to the book itself bec once i switched over to my kindle copy at around 45% in, I started to love it.

This book tackles the theme of grief (specifically grief from the loss of a child, and grieving a marriage due to the subsequent divorce) in a really powerful way. It looks at it from all angles, highlighting how grief and loss can impact a whole family and community.

I did wonder for a good portion of the book if I missed a key detail that would’ve explained a big part of the story, but it turned out that the plot was building up to giving the reader those answers. Once i realized that, i was locked in. The book also got better once I felt I knew the characters better since it was so character-driven. The supporting characters were all integral to the plot and to the themes and contributed so nicely to the book. The ending was really good — a perfect wrap up to the story with closure for everyone 🥹

Tracey Lange excels at creating compelling family dramas, begging to be devoured and dissected. Her latest venture, What Happened to the McCrays?, is a portrait of a crumbling marriage and small town community striving to right past wrongs.

After his father suffers a debilitating stroke, Kyle McCray returns to his hometown of Potsdam, New York, despite having left his childhood sweetheart (and wife of sixteen years) Casey behind two and a half years prior. Kyle’s arrival is met with mixed reactions but when the opportunity to coach a youth hockey team arises, he welcomes the distraction. Now, coaching alongside Casey, Kyle must confront the impact his leaving had, as well as the wounds that he and Casey left unmended.

This was one of Lange’s most heartbreaking stories, effectively told through past and present timelines. Kyle and Casey carry quite a bit of trauma but their grief is portrayed authentically. Their arcs were beautiful and their resilience in the face of life-altering challenges made me emotional. I loved the entire cast of supporting characters as well, including Kyle’s father, the middle school hockey team, and Casey’s brother Wyatt. There is disability rep that I felt was well depicted and it was nice to see a second chance romance centered around a couple in their 40s.

I thoroughly enjoyed What Happened to the McCrays?, and even noticed a little nod to Lange’s other works. This book is gutting yet poignant and I highly recommend looking up trigger warnings as the novel’s major themes include sensitive topics. Lange never shies away from the most difficult aspects of humanity and What Happened to the McCrays? is a touching example of the strength of the human condition.

Thank you Celadon Books and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

4.5 stars rounded up
Tracey Lange is one of the authors I genuinely look forward to new releases as soon as they hit the shelves; she has become an absolute auto-buy author for me. I can always count on complex and relatable characters, and to be taken on an emotional journey. Tears WILL be shed. Sign me up every single time.

What Happened to the McCrays checked all the boxes. Told through dual POV and multiple timelines, we unravel what went wrong in the McCrays' marriage to result in their sudden split; the pain they have to finally face when Kyle returns to town.

I loved the way the McCrays story illustrated the different ways people can experience grief and regret as well as the healing power of love, community, and understanding; the beauty of giving yourself permission to move forward.
Lange is an incredible storyteller. Though there's heavy subject matter (content warnings below) it didn’t feel all consuming.

🎧 Narrators Stephanie Németh-Parker and William DeMeritt were excellent. Their interpretations of the characters were spot on; I felt fully immersed in the story. Highly recommend going the audio route.

⚠️ Death of a child, suicide attempt, death of a parent, infertility.

Tracey Lange just knows how to tell a great story with well developed characters. I always enjoy her books.

2 years after Kyle McCray left town, he is called home to take care of his father who had a stroke. There he will have to face the events and decisions of his past alongside his ex wife and other community members.

Postives
Told from multiple povs in different timelines
All of the characters are people the reader can relate to and want to see succeed and be happy
There is an element of an untold story throughout, adding tp the great plot development
Focuses on the importance of community, second chances, family drama, flawed characters, etc.

Negatives:
Only small negative was it was a bit slow at times

A great solid read I will recommend to many.

I absolutely loved this book. This is my favorite book of Tracey's so far. She has such a way of writing a broken, challenging family. It connected with my emotions even though I've never personally experienced something like this.

The way she shaped the characters and slowly gave out the plot was done so well. I will recommend this book to everyone.

What Happened to the McCrays?
By Tracey Lange
Release Date: 01/14/2025

Review -
What hasn’t happened to the McCrays? This poignant book weaves together the past and present through the eyes of Kyle and Casey, who have weathered life's storms together since they were just 17. Their journey is a testament to the resilience of the human spirit, as they confront heart-wrenching challenges that many can relate to.

Be prepared to reach for the tissues 🧻🧻🤧🤧. This story delves into authentic experiences and beautifully illustrates how love can truly be a force that helps us overcome even the darkest moments.
4.5 🌠🌠🌠🌠💫STARS

#whathappenedtothemccrays #netgalley #netgalleyreviewer #celadonbooks #getthetissues #bookriew #bookrecommendations #bookstagrammer

Tracey Lange is so good at writing family dramas! I have read and enjoyed all of her books, and I think this one is my favorite yet.

This story is about Kyle and Casey. After being married for 16 years, Kyle cut ties and left and has spent the last two years living alone and out of touch. But when his dad gets sick, Kyle has to come home to take care of him and face the pain and secrets of his past with Casey.

As with Lange's previous books, this story features authentic, broken characters that are far from perfect but still very likeable. These are characters that feel relatable and real, the kind of characters that you want to keep reading about even after you finish the last page. It's good storytelling that dives into the dynamics of family and marriage and all the highs and lows that come with it. This book is sadder than Lange's previous books, so be warned! But it was so good. I loved it!

4.5 ⭐️

I’m a sucker for a good family drama and Tracey Lange writes them so well. I’ve loved her previous two books so I knew I wanted to read her most recent, What Happened to the McCrays as soon as I could.

The story opens when Kyle McCray is heading back to Potsdam in upstate New York to see his father after being away for a few years. Throughout the novel we learn slowly why he left, and what happened between him and his ex-wife Casey. Their story is complex and heartbreaking and I was pulled in from the very first chapter. Casey and Kyle were both flawed and felt so real to me, as did the other characters in the story, including Kyle’s dad, Casey’s brother, her best friend and the middle school students she taught. Also - there’s a bit of hockey, an underdog story that had me missing Beartown.

A great read, highly recommend this one and Lange’s other novels, The Connellys of County Down and We Are the Brennans. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced digital copy in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you NetGalley, Celadon Books and Tracey Lange for the opportunity to read and review What Happened to the McCrays?
This is a heart wrenching, emotional story about the strength of family, the reliance of a small community and a touch of middle school hockey. I thoroughly enjoyed this journey filled with ups and downs. Definitely make sure your seatbelt is fastened as it’s a wild ride.
The characters are well developed and likable. Although they all carry the same flaw of miscommunication. No one is perfect but more talking to each other is better than quiet and assuming. In my family it was always easier to sweep it under the rug and pretend everything was ok.
The plot advances in the “then” and “now” alternatively. We learn things in pieces with some of the puzzle not fitting very well until the very end. Some parts are predictable but others are not and I enjoyed being immersed in the story trying to figure it all out. This story will stay with me for awhile along with some quotes that glued this story together. I look forward to more from Tracey Lange-great work on this one!

In this beautifully written novel, grief, losses, and love commanded my attention the start. I became very involved in the well developed characters and their ups and downs in life. It really tugged at my heart. What Happened to the McCrays? will be a popular book club selection. Highly recommend.

“What Happened to the McCrays?”
Published by @Celadon
352 Pages
Author: Tracey Lange

What’s it about: When Kyle McCray returns to his hometown of Potsdam, NY he is not only facing his fathers recent stroke but also confronting his past which included walking away from his family, friends, co-workers and his wife of 16 years.

Kyle has extended his stay “home” as he was asked and agreed to fulfill a temporary junior high hockey coaching position. During his stay he considers making Potsdam home again permanently but trying to mend a failed marriage and facing the excruciating trauma of his past will determine if it’s possible.

How I felt about it: You know you’re reading an amazing novel when you find yourself immersed in the town, the characters, the plot and what will happen to the McCrays. Author Tracey Lange did such an amazing job with character development and leading the reader by the hand as she exposed a horrific trauma that families can face and the unthinkable path that lies ahead.

Thoroughly enjoyed this novel and highly recommend to anyone who appreciates contemporary fiction involving marriage, divorce and family.

5 star read for me! Thank you to @celadonbooks @netgalley for this eARC in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

This book was almost perfect, and if I hadn't struggled so much with the ending, it would have been my first 5-star read of the year. Despite my issue with how it was all tied up in a pretty bow, I found this to be a deeply emotional and beautifully constructed novel that examines the complexity of relationships, the secrets we keep, and the weight of past decisions. Through alternating perspectives and dual timelines, the book offers an intimate exploration of a couple's fractured marriage, their shared history, and their journey toward healing.

The story begins with Kyle McCray reluctantly returning to his hometown of Potsdam, New York, after a two-and-a-half-year absence. Called back by news of his father's debilitating stroke, Kyle doesn't expect a warm reception - and he's right. His departure years earlier left a lot of unanswered questions and unresolved pain, not only for his family and friends but especially for his wife, Casey, who is still grappling with the fallout of his abandonment (or, at least, so we think).

Over the course of the novel, we flash back and forth between now - when Casey and Kyle are in their 40s - and then - when Casey and Kyle are teenagers and first started dating. We get the full picture of what brought them together and what ultimately broke their hearts and pulled them apart. By weaving together chapters from Kyle and Casey's points of view, the author has created a richly textured narrative. This structure allows readers to empathize with both characters, understanding not only Kyle's reasons for leaving but also what led to it and how it affected Casey.

The authenticity of the characters and how much the author makes you care for them is another strength. Casey is a dedicated teacher beloved by her community not only for how she is loved at school but also for her dedication to the junior hockey team she helps manage. At the same time, Kyle initially comes across as gruff and a bit of a grifter, but his return to his hometown and his reconnection with Casey reveals him to be much deeper than the standard, cliché macho man. Watching these two characters navigate their shared grief and anger is both heartbreaking and hopeful. Lange avoids casting blame entirely on one person, instead presenting a nuanced portrait of a marriage unraveling under the weight of something unimaginable.

As Kyle and Casey grapple with their shared past, the novel delves into the messy, imperfect process of healing - and trust me when I say they both have a lot of healing to do. It gets heavy, which is why I loved the subplot involving the hockey team. Kyle's involvement with the team as he reaclimates to his hometown adds a layer of warmth and humor to the story, balancing the heavier emotional themes.

While I loved a lot about the novel, as I mentioned earlier, I had an issue with the ending. While it provides a satisfying resolution to Kyle and Casey's journey, it does so in a way that I found to be a bit too tidy. After all they had gone through, I struggled with the way the final chapters veered into Hallmark territory. While it didn't diminish the emotional impact of the story, it did make the conclusion feel slightly at odds with the raw authenticity of the rest of the novel. I think I would have found it to be more realistic and more palatable had it ended on a hopeful yet less tidy note.

Overall, this is a poignant and beautifully written novel that hits you in all the feels. The writing is strong, the story is bittersweet, and the characters are perfectly constructed. Despite its slightly too-perfect ending, the novel is an emotional powerhouse that will resonate with anyone who enjoys character-driven stories with heart. If you like an emotional drama, you should definitely check this one out.

Casey and Kyle McCray are divorced. We meet Kyle in Spokane, Washington, where he settled after leaving (escaping?) small-town Potsdam, NY. Casey is still in Potsdam. We know they're both broken, but it takes most of the book to learn how and why.

What Happened to the McCrays travels back and forth between present-day, when Kyle is called back to Potsdam to help his father recover from a stroke. It's been over two years since he left and Kyle owes a lot of amends. Kyle is sad, scared, and doesn't know how to adjust to being back in the town where he was born and raised. Kyle's dad was an invincible figure; seeing him leveled by a stroke. And then, of course, Casey. It's obvious right away that Kyle still loves her. And probably that Casey still loves him back. But they are fractured in some way that feels irreparable.

I loved the characters in this book: both Casey and Kyle, and the supporting cast - Kyle's dad, Danny and Casey's brother, Wyatt are strong figures that bring a lot to the storyline. The local middle school hockey team is a character too; they are also incredibly lovable! I loved learning about Casey and Kyle's early love story, their hopes and dreams, and their tragedies. This book made me cry. It's really sad. And it's really good. As someone who doesn't cry reading books often, it's a signal to me of powerful writing.

This story is a reminder of how important and impactful love is, how hard grief is, and how much we can convince ourselves of (good and bad), if we want to believe it badly enough. Highly recommended. This is my third Tracey Lange book and I loved them all. Can't wait to read what Lange releases next!

50/100 2.50 stars

I think I have to give up the idea that stories that focus heavily on Hockey are just not going to work for me. I was hoping that the family drama and tragedy would make this still interesting, but that was not the case for me. I like where the author was going, and the writing itself is pretty strong.

I am also not a fan of people using triggering content as plot devices...especially if it is meant to be a secret/reveal within the story that makes talking about the topics an automatic spoiler. If I had known these things, I probably wouldn't have requested it, but I wanted to give the author another chance, as one of their previous books also didn't work for me. I got to about 10% when I realized this wouldn't work. I also didn't want to have to go and rate it on Goodreads with a low score because that wouldn't seem fair when I can DNF and only rate it on NetGalley.

It is an unfortunately no for me, but maybe if their next work has more tropes or aspects that I do like, I can give Lange one last try!

In this novel, Tracey Lange introduces us to a new dysfunctional family, the McCrays. Told from alternating perspectives and timelines, the story is filled with questions - most importantly - What Happened to the McCrays?

Kyle returns home to Potsdam after he receives the news of his father's debilitating stroke. After being away for years with very little explanation, Kyle is not expecting a warm welcome home. His ex-wife, Casey, is one of the most liked people in town for her efforts as a teacher and the school's hockey team. As the two are forced to spend time together volunteering for the hockey team and taking care of Kyle's father, the past becomes harder to hide from and feelings are hard to avoid.

I have devoured all of Tracey Lange's books and this one was no different. She writes characters that the reader wants to believe in and root for. While we don't get all of the information at the beginning, the way the snippets of the past are dispersed throughout the book provides the perfect pacing to keep the reader invested. And when we finally get to the point where all the cards on the table - have your tissues nearby.

I highly recommend this book for readers that enjoy navigating family dynamics and mending broken hearts back together!

2 and a half years after running away from his life (without saying goodbye to anyone) in the small town that he grew up in, Kyle learns his father has suffered from a stroke and so he returns to the town, to his dad, to his friends and his ex wife. Now home he sees how his actions have affected many, most importantly his ex wife Casey with whom he shared a tragic event. Beloved by the town, Kyle is given a chance to redeem himself, by coaching the youth hockey league. The question is, can he make amends with those most important to him and can he move on from events in the past.

Tracey Lange was already an auto-buy for me but this one clinched it. I adored this one (I've loved all of her books) and I fell in love with many of the characters. This is a story about love, friendship and grief. The alternating timelines and POVs added the extra element needed to truly tell the story of a couple growing up together and coping with love and the new dynamics of their relationship after tragedy. The audiobook narrators were wonderful and got me through a terrible airport experience, and once home I picked up by reading the rest of the novel (almost in one sitting - except we landed late and I needed sleep so I reluctantly closed it for the night around 1am). Besides my need for sleep, I couldn't put this one down and I was a bit sad when it was over because I had fallen in love with the story and the characters.

This book is an absolute masterclass in character-driven storytelling. The characters were so easy to fall in love with even though they were flawed. I enjoyed the multiple perspectives and both past and present timelines, and the way the story unfolded in a non-linear way so you could see the characters both as who they are now and who they once were. I thought Kyle especially was such an outstanding character. Some of Casey's actions bothered me but Kyle seemed like such a real, raw, caring human being who must be protected at all costs. Absolutely no notes - this is Tracey Lange's best yet and I highly recommend it to anyone and everyone.

Tracey Lange does family drama so well. I really liked We are the Brennans so I was really excited to read this new release. I loved how this story was told from both of the MC perspective because its so interesting to see how different people perceive the same events. I really felt for all of the characters and was cheering them on despite their faults and missteps. I also love a book that has the small town community rallying around its own. Trigger warnings: loss of child and self harm should definitely be noted but there was also some levity brought on from Wyatt and the kids.
Overall, I highly recommend this one if you love family dramas.