I loved both of Tracey Lange’s previous books, and was so honored to be approved for this one! Lange is one of the most talented of storytellers bringing to life, not only the characters but the whole community in this book.
When Kyle McCray is called home, he knows he won’t receive a warm welcome after leaving abruptly over two years ago. He hopes to lie low and avoid the friends he abandoned, especially his wife of sixteen years, Casey. Focused on his own overwhelming loss, he didn’t realize the impact that his leaving had on the loved ones he left behind.
In a dual timeline scenario, Lange slowly unravels the story of the love story between Kyle and Casey and the tragedy that pulled them apart. It takes us into the home and hearts of this family.
This book is deeply emotional exploring devastating grief of one of the worst kinds which Lange handles compassionately, albeit with raw and deep emotion. It’s of hurt, guilt, anger and disappointment. But it also is a community that will hold one of their own, and of love, friendship, hope and forgiveness.

I have yet to read a Tracey Lange book I haven't loved but I think this is her best yet.

𝗪𝗛𝗔𝗧 𝗛𝗔𝗣𝗣𝗘𝗡𝗘𝗗 𝗧𝗢 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗠𝗖𝗖𝗥𝗔𝗬𝗦 made me feel all the things. The story of love, loss and forgiveness reminded me a lot of 𝘉𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘰𝘸𝘯 which is one of my all-time favorite books and praise I don't dole out lightly. It's not only that they both feature small-town hockey teams - they have similarly memorable characters and quietly captivating stories about regular people trying to do their best they in difficult situations.

Lange's writing is poignant but subtle - she doesn't hit you over the head with drama but lets the secrets slowly unfold - and the relationships and situations all feel realistic. I got so emotionally invested in the McCrays and their community, I still think about them weeks later.

Don't miss this when it comes out in January - it's one of the best books I've read this year and I have no doubt it will be a top book club pick for 2025.

Thanks to Celadon Books and Macmillan Audio for the copies to review.

I had a connection to this book even before I opened up to the first chapter. A novel that takes place in a village of a town, a small corner of upstate NY, that holds a lot of my own memories.

Potsdam, NY. A town that explodes when Universities are in session and breathes again when they all leave. A community that rallies around each other and finds a simplicity to life that sinks in, in the way that the long winter nights hit there.

My husband was on a D1 scholarship to Clarkson. The school that holds my 19-22yr old memories. The friendships of the locals. The Inn at the end of the street that family stayed in. And the toilet seat yard that had us all laughing whenever we drove past. Oh, and still my favourite place to get a bagel sandwich at the Bagelry. (Not sure if it still exists though).

But instead of me reminiscing about the hard winters traveling there to see hockey; or trying to occupy myself with a good friend in a town with 1 Main Street…. I found myself completely immersed in Tracey’s characters.

It’s a story about love, friendship, grief and community. But even deeper to that, it’s about home. My husband and I have always said to each other that home is where our “home team” is together, and that sentiment runs deeply in this novel.

The characters are deeply emotional. Their marriage has war wounds of grief. But the community around them gives the book the beating heart.

I have loved Ms Lange’s other two books. But this is head and shoulders better. The writing just dug that much deeper emotively.

I mentioned in my previous post spotlighting this one that I would compare it to Beartown by Backman. Yes both have hockey. Yes both have small towns but also, it’s not about either of those things. Beartown felt different in that you had 3 novels to let the characters dig into you. This one just scratches the surface of life within a village. And hope after Grief.

This author is one of my very favorites. I've read both of her previous books and they were fantastic. This one is even better. The tear factor is 100%. It gives you a chuckle or three an you will fall in love with the main male character Kyle.

The main characters in this book are: Kyle, Wyatt, Casey, Danny and of course Star. Star is the German Shepherd you will love.

After a devastating loss Kyle leaves Potsdam, NY. He leaves without saying goodbye and the people who love him are upset with him. He could have said goodbye after all.

When Kyle finally checks his texts and sees he has quite a few he knows something is up. He has to go home because his dad has had a stroke and he needs to take care of him. Danny was a fireman. He was also a single parent to Kyle. Kyle had married the love of his life Casey. Casey's brother Wyatt has always lived with her. Since their mother died at a young age. Wyatt was in a terrible accident as a very young child and is in a wheelchair. He also has a thriving woodworking business in a shed behind their home. Star is the beloved family pet.

You learn about how Kyle and Casey came to become a couple. The love they shared and what happened to make them split. How they are both so messed up apart. Casey is a teacher and is filling in somewhat as a coach for the middle school hockey team. Kids that you will adore. When Kyle comes back he takes over being the coach and the kids thrive. They start playing so well and even place in the finals. What they do then will bring you to your knees. What they do for Kyle and Casey. It is a very emotional scene.

The love between these two main characters is one you can feel. While at the same time feeling the deep pain they each bear. This is a beautifully written love story and tragedy. It's a tearjerker but as with all of this author's books so far, it has a happy ending.

I adored this book. It gave me a few feels but the story is so overwhelming told that you will have the ugly cries. Have lots of kleenex handy. When you find out exactly what did Happen to the McCrays you get a big understanding of what pure pain and grief is. The author made this book real.

I also listened to the audio and it was done perfectly. The two narrators portrayed the characters exactly right. They made the emotions all the more realistic. From start to finish this book is great.

Thank you #NetGalley, #CeladonBooks, #MacmillanAudio, for this ARC. This is my thoughts about this book.

Five big stars and worth even more.

A truly grounding, character driven read in the human experience from start to finish!

When Kyle McCray returns to his small town to care for his ailing father, he must confront the consequences of his past actions and attempt to mend broken relationships with Casey, his ex-wife, and the community he left behind.

As a fan of Lange's previous work, I knew I needed to get my hands on "What Happened to the McCrays". And I'm so glad I was able to, because this book delivers in it's overall execution, premise, and impact.

If you're looking for a fast paced, action packed read? THIS IS NOT IT!

It is quiet in it's delivery of truly powerful moments. I enjoyed not only our main characters, Casey and Kyle, who show what it is to be an perfectly imperfect human and do the work, but also the side characters and the broader community who continue to show up again and again for our MCs no matter what. In this moment in time, community and who you surround yourself with is so vital and this book showcases that in dividends.

While I ultimately wasn't surprised by what drove these two away from each other, it was so worth the journey and wait to see them find their way back. And y'all it ain't easy but THAT is what makes it feel so realistic and honest and human. From abandoned toilets, sassy middle schoolers, lots of hockey talk, and so much investment in this one relationship, it all just comes together in a beautiful way.

Highly recommend this book (and the author's others if you haven't already!)

Thank you netgalley and the publisher for my advanced reader's copy in exchange for my honest review.

Oh, Tracey Lange, you have done it again.
Thank you, Celadon Books & Macmillan Audio, for the gifted copy of What Happened to the McCrays? {partner}

Genre: Fiction
Format: 🎧📖
Pub Date:  1.14.2024
Pages: 352
Star Rating: ☆☆☆☆☆

“Small towns don’t forgive easily. And even why they do, they never forget.”

If Tracey Lange writes it, I will read it. I will read it with tears streaming down my face, but that’s just to be expected in her books. Lange has this beautiful way of telling stories about people who feel very real. They could be your neighbor, best friend, or someone inside your family.  

What Happened to the McCrays? broke my heart in so many ways, but like the characters in the book, it started to heal with every page I read. By the end, I was hopeful for the people of Potsdam, New York. I had hoped that they would all find the happiness that they deserved. 

That is why I love Tracey Lange’s books—the characters are brought to life on every page, and I’m always so sad to see them go. 

Audiobook Review: ☆☆☆☆☆
Stephanie Nemeth-Parker (The Honeymoon Crashers, A Court of Wings & Ruin) and William Demerit (Jackal) narrated the audiobook. I loved the emotion and character depth they brought to the narration. They did an incredible job, and I’d absolutely recommend the audiobook to listeners.

Read if you enjoy:
🏘️ Small town
🥹 Stories of forgiveness
🫶🏼 Second chance romance
🏒 Underdog sports team

I recommend reading What Happened to the McCrays if you enjoyed any of Lange’s previous books or were a fan of Beartown.

This book broke my heart. It was beautifully written, but quite sad (though the ending is sweet and doesn’t leave you depressed). Tracey Lange is a talented author, and her writing always transports me.

Casey and Kyle were married but are now divorced and living on opposite sides of the country—the book unfolds the reasons why and how the couple might reconnect after Kyle returns home to care for his ill father.

I mostly listened to the audio, thanks to @macmillanaudio, and finished the book on kindle thanks to @celadonbooks. The audio was fantastic and kept me occupied while driving to and from work.

I adored this novel. I can’t remember a book that has made me cry so much, multiple times, but it was beautiful and tender and so well executed. I know this topic will be hard for some readers, but I am fervently hoping it doesn’t turn anyone away. These characters were pitch perfect, the hockey storyline made my heart soar as a hockey mom, and the found family and community on these pages is unforgettable. Five Stars.

My third read from Tracey Lange and I really love the way her books are a feel good - happy ending type of book. Her characters have emotions that make you want to root for them and there is a love story at the heart of it that the reader becomes attached too.

This is the same Casey and Kyle. They are pulled back together after Kyle's father suffers a stroke. Through being back in the same town and bonding over helping Kyle's father heal can these to figure out why they fell apart and help heal the other?

I loved this one and I would suggest a read if you are into second chance romance and tragedies helping pull couples back together this one if for you.

I'm all for books about family and their excessive drama, which initially pulled me into Tracey Lange's latest.
I gave [book:We Are the Brennans|55169040] three stars, didn't leave a review, but after reading about the McCrays, I now know why. It was a forgettable drama. There is an actual mention of the Brennan's bar in this book, which is neither here nor there.

What Happened to the McCrays? is essentially a long drawn out novel about Casey and Kyle, a couple who faced tragedy, as he returns back to Potsdam, after is it two, three, four years? I feel like the author isn't really sure herself. He reconnects with his ex Casey after his father recovers from a stroke.

What happens next is a long drawn story of redemption, sadness, and healing. The tragedy itself is supposed to be a bit of a mystery, but despite the details, there were chapters of events that didn't need to happen. The hockey coaching story is left by the wayside, Casey's brother Wyatt who is in a wheelchair but is a successful woodmaker has what could have been a more memorable role, and other pieces of the story that if fully fleshed out, would have been a more relatable family drama. Claire Lombardo and Ann Napolitano are experts at creating small family stories into big long heaps of uncertainty, grief, and eventually healing.
Unfortunately, Lange does not do what those authors do, instead, we end up reading two chapters on Kyle and Casey holding duffle bags to leave their sadness behind. These were not memorable characters to me, which is really what makes these family dramas unique. The fine details on everyday life were left out, and sad to say, despite the tragic storyline, my attention span went out the door myself.

'What Happened to the McCrays' by Tracey Lange was a four-star read for me. This is the second of Tracey Lange's books I have read, having previously read 'The Connelly's of County Down'. I tremendously enjoy Tracey Lange's novels. I like family sagas that paint characters in a real life light. Casey and Kyle McCray lead very believable lives, dealing with past mistakes and regrets like we all do and sometimes unnecessarily taking on blame and grappling to keep control. Though I normally don't enjoy a split timeline, this novel revealed the whole story in a series of 'Now' and 'Then' montages that worked well to keep my interest going. The ending did pack somewhat of a surprise. I won't forget the McCrays and their supportive group of friends anytime soon. I would like to thank NetGalley and Celadon for getting an ARC in my hands. I recommend getting a copy of this book on January 14, 2025.

Tracy Lange writes the most beautifully complex stories and What Happened to the McCrays is no exception. I flew through this book because I found myself reading this book at any free moment I had.

Kyle McCray has just returned to his hometown after his abrupt departure 2 years ago and needs to face everyone he had left behind, including his wife, family, friends, and employees. Kyle has returned to care for his father who recently suffered a stroke and needs extra care so he will be in town for a while. He is given the opportunity to coach the middle school hockey team and considers staying in his hometown but will everyone he left behind be happy for him to stay.

I truly loved this book from beginning to end. Grief is a huge part of this story and it is written so well. I love how the author writes these complex emotions and shows how different characters react to events differently. The relationships in this book are so authentic and have such depth. This book will join her others at the top of this list to recommend to others.

Thank you to NetGalley and Celadon for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I'm not sure I can find the words to explain the brilliance and emotion of Tracey Lange's new book - What Happened to the McCrays?

"Kyle McCray returns to Potsdam, NY after finding out that his father had a stroke. He's worried about what kind of reception he'll get because he left two-and-a-half years ago - abandoning his wife, family, friends and employees - all people that counted on him. He plans to lie low and avoid as many people as he can and leave when his father recovers - especially when Casey, his ex-wife, says she wants him gone.
Kyle is asked to help with the middle-school hockey team and finds compassion in unexpected places. Kyle considers staying in Potsdam but only if he and Casey can find some peace."

This is a book about grief - about what it takes to make relationships work. It's about a couple that loves the other so hard they can't see a way through. There's tragedy...and it will break your heart. Lange gives little clues throughout but you don't know exactly what happened 'til later. Or some of the consequences. This story is full of emotion - some of it raw. There was one moment where I almost had to pull the car over because it hit me so hard.

Do not miss this book. Lange has given us a wonderful story of two broken people trying to find their way back to each other.

This was very slow moving and mostly a lot of characters not talking to each other. I still don't really understand why Kyle left and for someone who came back to care for his father, he spent a lot of time doing everything but that. I think this had a lot of potential, but it just didn't click for me.

Tracey Lange sure knows how to write emotional family dramas! I didn’t think it was possible for her to write something I loved more than The Connelly’s of County Down, but Lange has done it. I really connected with this book. I found it easy to love Kyle and Casey. They both went through such a devastating loss. I can’t even imagine the pain.

The personal journey’s Kyle and Casey both went on were raw and painful. I loved the hockey team and the roll they played in the story! The way Kyle and Casey’s story came together in the end was really well done. It all felt so believable and earnest to me.

If Tracey Lange writes it, I will read it! If you enjoy emotional family dramas, then I definitely recommend checking out this book! Have the tissues ready!

Yes, indeed, what did happen to the McCrays? The reader spends the greater part of the book trying to find out.

Kyle McCray gets a call to return to his upstate New York hometown because his father has had a stroke. Kyle left under questionable circumstances just over two years ago. He returns with great trepidation, not knowing what kind of reception he will get from his father, his ex-wife, his hockey coach or anyone else.

This is the third book I have read by this author. Ms Lange has a wonderful knack for writing about troubled families. They are not necessarily toxic families, but families going through difficult times. The fact that she has a psychology degree enables her to make the issues believable and solvable.

Excellent character development, for Kyle and his ex-wife Casey. Though the reader does not understand what drives them, we get to know them quite well. There are hints of the “terrible, horrible thing” that shapes who they are, but it takes a while to come to light. That happens one piece at a time.

It’s a sad and emotional story about two people who love each other but are driven apart by circumstances. I spent my time whilst reading hoping that they would find their way back to each other.

As a Canadian, I liked that hockey and coaching played a part in the story. Canada's National Sport!

In her Acknowledgments, Ms Lange mentions the importance of community. She makes it very evident in this story. She involves the school, the neighbourhood, the hockey team and everything else that helps to create a community. This community plays a huge role in the development of the plot.

I was happy with the ending.

Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for the Advance Readers Copy.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

🤗Thank you so much to @celadonbooks for the ARC!

📖Title: What Happened to the McCray's?
✍️Author: Tracey Lange
📅Pub Date: January 14, 2025

📖This is my third book by Tracey Lange and all three of them have been memorable 5-star reads.

⭐I usually forget book characters the day after I read a book, but Tracey’s stay with me, and that alone sets her so far apart from most authors. She truly has the gift of sharing the stories of normal, everyday people and making them extraordinary. This family drama will be one that you never forget!

📖I could talk about this book and how wonderful the main characters Kyle and Casey are all day long, but I think that this book is best enjoyed by knowing as little as possible going in! Just know that you’re in for a very emotional and unforgettable ride. You won’t be able to put this down!

⚠️There is some heavy content but listing CWs would 100% spoil the plot, so be careful reading them. DM me with concerns.

Name of Book: What Happened to the McCrays?
Author: Tracey Lange
Genre: Women’s Fiction, Family Drama
Publisher: Celedon
Pub Date: January 4, 2025
My Rating: 3.8 rounded up
Pages: 352

Hmmm what did happen to the McCrays that made Kyle leave Casey his high school sweetheart and wife he had adored for 16 years? He was a star hockey player as everyone plays hockey in Potsdam, NY and then became a coach. She is a middle school teacher and he is an auto mechanic. They have one son Charlie.

We learn that Kyle left his family, friends, work, and Potsdam over two years ago.
The story takes us through Kyle 's new life. Although told slowly, we do learn the reasons for Kyle’s past and why he left Potsdam.
Kyle gets notice that his father has suffered a severe stroke and since no one else who can stay with him as he recuperates - he returns to Potsdam to help his day as well as some resolution with Casey who is now his ex-wife.

This is my third Tracey Lange. I read " We Are the Brennans as well as The Connelly’s of County Down".
She writes powerful character based stories.
I liked this story the best of the three.

Want to thank NetGalley and Celedon for this early eGalley.
Publishing Release Day scheduled for: January 4, 2025.

4.5 stars. Tracey Lange is the queen of family estrangement/family dramas.

Kyle and Casey McCray were high school sweethearts; however, they have been estranged for over two years. When Kyle's father suffers a stroke, Kyle must return to Potsdam, where Casey still lives, to help with his recovery. Told through past and present timelines, we learn what happened to Kyle and Casey to cause this rift, as well as find out if time does heal all wounds.

The characters in this story are deep and relatable-- they're flawed but always seem to be doing the best they can given the circumstances. I loved the healing component of this story, as well as the side characters. I cannot wait to see what Lange comes out with next because her books are always a hit.

This was the perfect title for this emotional then and now story. What happened to keep Kyle away from his cozy yellow home with the black shutters? How could a love so intense between Casey and Kyle McCray end?

Frustrated with Casey's behavior for the majority of the story, I began to warm up to her as mysteries and tragic moments were revealed. Grief is something we all handle in such different ways. This story tackled those emotions in an honest, heart-breaking way. Throughout the story I was definitely team Kyle, who wore his heart on his tatted body. In the end, sympathy, support, love… and ink… over-shadowed the selfishness that I had felt throughout the story and made me a fan of both of the McCrays.

I’m so happy to have had the chance to read the Advanced Reader’s Edition e-copy of What Happened to the McCray's? by Tracey Lange; thank you NetGalley and Celadon Books.