If I gave this book a star for every time it made me tear up, I would give it 800 stars. I was so moved by the story of love, loss and community.

I actually went into this completely blind, just knowing how much I enjoyed Tracey Lange’s storytelling. Now that I’ve read her third book, I can confidently say that no one writes a messed up, complicated family dynamic like Lange and that is exactly what you get with the McCrays. Kyle comes back to the small town he abandoned after his father’s stroke and in time, so many things are revealed. I was pretty immediately hooked at the first character connection revelation and could not put the book down.

This is heavy in parts but heartwarming as well. You really get to know the characters over the thirty chapters you spend in Potsdam, and some flashbacks provide insight into the events that shaped this family. They’re weaved in so the reader gets an inclining of what heartbreak will follow but it’s paced masterfully that you don’t really understand each character’s perspective until the very end. I just really loved it.

Read this. Have tissues handy.

Thank you to NetGalley and Celadon Books for the opportunity to read a copy of this. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I honestly love this author’s writing. It’s beautiful and atmospheric, and the way she tells a story is just nothing short of captivating. I didn’t want to stop!

Kyle & Casey
Charlie
Community

Such a good story about redemption. It was heartwarming. Forgiveness.

I loved the gradual way the story place all the pieces together about two broken people that still needed each other. Every layer that was revealed just added to the emotions of this story.

I’ve quite enjoyed every book by Tracey Lange. As well I’d recommend this book.

Thank NetGalley & Celadon Books for the advanced copy opportunity.

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

As someone who doesn’t give 5 stars easily, I’ve now given two in January. This book made me feel so many feelings, and that’s what earned it 5 stars for me.

This book was about grief, forgiveness, community, and second chances. It was about holding on and letting go. It was real and raw. It was complicated and simple. It was beautiful.

Lange has an incredible voice, and she knocked it out of the park with this one. Readers looking for realistic, multilayered characters, family drama, and small town settings will love this one.

Thank you NetGalley & Celadon Books for granting me the opportunity to read "What Happened to the McCrays?" This is a book that will stay with me for a lifetime. It was raw, emotional, deep, and realistic. Life is not always easy. Grief can be all consuming. I will think about Casey and Kyle forever. This story follows the relationship of Casey and Kyle McCray throughout their life. The good, the bad, and the debilitating. They say a 5-stay read is a feeling and this delivered that and more. I never wanted to put this book down, and I did not want it to ever end. This is a book I am going to wish I could re-read again for the first time. I am jealous of everyone who has not read this one yet, but I highly recommend you add this to your TBR immediately.

On the outside looking in, Kyle and Casey McCray have it all. A beautiful love that has flourished since they were high school sweethearts. Now 16 years later, Kyle had left. He left his job, wife and family in his small hometown.

Kyle is called back home after being gone for two years now. He returned to help his father who has suffered a major stroke and needs help regaining his strength, walking, and getting to physical therapy sessions. Though Kyle isn’t ready to face the past, he knows he can’t turn his back on his father.

When Kyle sees Casey again, all his feelings for her resurface, stronger than ever. He also discovers that the town doesn’t resent him as he feared; most people are understanding and forgiving. When the chance to coach the local teenage hockey team comes up, Kyle jumps at it. Hockey is his passion, and mentoring these kids becomes a path to healing. Not just for them, but for himself as well.

The author has an incredible ability to deliver the weight of everything left unsaid. The regret, hope, and unspoken love hang in the air making it easy for you to slip into their shoes and live their pain. You can feel the years of tension between Kyle and Casey, the heartbreak simmering just beneath the surface. Can they heal themselves and make their way back to each other? Or are they destined once again to live separate lives.

This is the third book by Tracey Lange. She is a phenomenal writer and can really pull you into a story and feel the pain and anguish of the characters. I highly recommend this one and the others she has written.

Synopsis: Kyle McCray returns home to Potsdam, NY to assist his father who has suffered a stroke. He hasn’t been home since he left his wife, Casey, two and a half years ago. In the interim, Casey, filed and received a divorce from Kyle. As the story unfolds, the reader learns that something traumatic occurred that caused Kyle to leave and the marriage to fail.

My thoughts: I liked how the author slowly revealed the facts of what happened to this couple and I think she did a great job with giving the reader very enjoyable secondary characters such as Kyle’s father and Casey’s brother. Even though I am not a hockey fan, I also really enjoyed the scenes with Kyle coaching the middle-school hockey team and I think the author accurately captured the personalities of middle-school aged boys.

I gave this book 4.25/5 stars and have now read every book written by this author. She has definitely become an automatic buy author for me.

Thank you to Netgalley and Celadon Books for a review copy.

What Happened to the McCrays is another fantastic novel by Tracey Lange. I thoroughly enjoyed her previous novel The Connellys of County Down. I was super excited to read her latest effort. What happened to the McCrays is a beautifully written, highly compelling story. I loved every page of this book from start to finish. A huge thank you to Celadon Books, the author, and Netgalley for the advanced digital copy of the book.

A moving second chance story about family, community, and a magical middle school hockey team. The author effortlessly intertwines the present day, along with the past to show the full journey of a couple who are on the cusp of rediscovering their love for each other once again. Kyle and Casey McCray were high school sweetheart. Kyle was totally devoted to Casey, but one day after 16 years together he suddenly leaves. He’s been gone for a little over two years now. What happened to this couple to make Kyle walk away from his family and hometown?

When his Dad has a debilitating stroke Kyle must return to his small hometown, to the community, and family he left so long ago. How will he be able to face everyone he walked away from, including Casey the woman he loved? Can he ever make peace with the past to start anew? As Kyle helps his Dad recuperate, and with coaching the school hockey team he will come to terms with some profound truths and realizations.

Tracey Lange is an incredible storyteller. Her ability to create such pertinent, sympathizable characters is mastery. What Happened to the McCrays is an immersive, emotionally charged book to get completely lost in. A story that deals with tragedy, grief, healing, forgiveness, but ultimately offers hope, love and redemption. A poignant, memorable, and engaging novel that is a testament to the power of the human spirit. An amazing novel that’s definitely not to be missed out on.

I've been eagerly anticipating the new Tracey Lange and this one proved to be worth the wait. Here she portrays what broke a once rock-solid marriage, sharing each partner's point of view on what went wrong. As readers of Lange's previous works may suspect: it was gut-wrenching and you really feel for what they've both been through. As a Southern-dweller who doesn't experience much cold and snow, the strong hockey component in this book was an unexpected delight.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Celadon Books for gifting me a digital ARC of the latest book by one of my favorite authors, Tracey Lange. All opinions expressed in this review are my own - 5 stars!

Kyle and Casey McCray split over 2 years ago and Kyle hasn't been back to Potsdam NY since. Living a somewhat nomadic lifestyle, he's somewhat settled in Spokane WA when he gets word that his father has suffered a debilitating stroke. Returning to NY is tough, because Kyle has to face the people he abandoned years ago. The longer he stays home helping his dad, the more he realizes just how his departure affected the people he left behind. He begins to find hope again when asked to coach the middle school hockey team, and even begins thinking he might be able to stay.

No one writes family drama and real characters like Tracey Lange. I have loved each of her books and while it's hard to pick a favorite, this might just be it. I loved the Upstate NY setting and how pulled I felt into these characters' lives and the community surrounding them. Small towns have their own unique feel, where everyone knows your story, good or bad, and it's tough to rewrite it. Just what happened to the McCrays and can Kyle and Casey make their way back together? Lange is wonderful at showing both sides of the story and how decisions and lack of communication can have lasting and haunting consequences. Plus, I loved the story of the middle schoolers and their hockey team. This is a beautifully-written story that will have you feeling all the emotions. As with her other books, this would be a great book club pick. Highly recommended!

Tracey Lange’s third novel features various trigger warnings and is filled with sadness and grief, but also touches on themes of hope, forgiveness, and the importance of community. When Kyle McCray returns to his hometown to care for his ill father, he must come to terms with why he left two years ago. He finds solace in coaching a middle school hockey team while facing his past and the ex-wife he left behind. Like Lange's other two novels, WHAT HAPPENED TO THE MCCRAYS? features complex characters and realistic family dynamics.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher Celadon Books for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

What Happened to the McCrays is a rare gem that brought me to tears—a feat few stories achieve. The characters are so richly developed that their emotions practically leap off the pages. The love, pain, and heartache are written with such depth and authenticity that you can't help but feel and relate to their journey. Despite the emotional rollercoaster, the author masterfully weaves in moments of humor and lightheartedness, making it a well-rounded and compelling read. Highly recommended.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Getting a new book to read from Tracey Lange is like coming home to a beautifully wrapped package on your front porch. I have been anticipating the availability of this book from Tracey Lange, so I was super excited to get a chance to read it.

Granted, I would read anything that Tracey Lange writes because I enjoyed her previous books so very much and this new family drama was no exception.

It follows a young couple, Casey and Kyle, as they are painfully reunited after their once strong relationship is shattered. The author strings readers along through flashback vignettes as we curiously await the reveal of what went so terribly wrong to break these two apart.

There is a community vibe created by supporting the local family run businesses, the youth hockey team and the plight of the town’s toilet seat garden. It does deal with triggering topics like suicide and depression, and there were a couple times when I felt tears prick my eyes. But it is a feel-good story as well, that is rich in sibling loyalty, neighborly love, and overcoming emotional trauma. I highly recommend you add this to your list of must-read books for 2024.

Since I loved We Are the Brennans and The Connellys of County Down, I knew I had to read this book asap. I love how Tracey Lange writes so well about families and family relationships. Her characters are so well developed you feel like you know them or you can relate them to some of your own family members. After Casey and Kyle's son dies in an accident, they both make huge mistakes in dealing with their relationship and end up separated across the country from each other. When Kyle's dad suffers a stroke he has to come home and take care of him. Since Casey lives across the street from his dad they are bound to cross paths every day. This is a story that tells two sides of a divorce and the pain both people have to confront and try to heal. If they don't heal, they will be consumed by the pain. I loved this book. Thanks to @NetGalley for the ARC of this book.

I LOVED this one- this truly broke my heart multiple times and put it back together. I loved the family dynamics and the overwhelming sense and importance of community and family in the latest by Tracey Lange. Character development couldn't have been better.. hated for this one to end. Highly recommend!!!
Thank you so much to the author and publisher for this digital ARC- Tracey Lange is an auto-buy author for me and this was 5stars!!

This is one my highest anticipated books of the year and Ms. Lange does not disappoint. I read The Connolly's of County Down and enjoyed that. However, this book is on a whole different level. It is not only a five star read but I am betting it will be on my top ten for the year.
Ms. Lange captures the essence of Potsdam, New York, a rather depressed city in upstate New York where many residents aim to leave and never come back but few ever do. Kyle McCray, an auto mechanic who is one of those that did leave, comes home after his father has a stroke. Kyle left home under circumstances that make him unwelcome to many, including his ex wife. As the story unfolds, the reader learns why Kyle is looked at negatively only, of course, it is complicated.
This is not an action packed novel It is literary fiction at its finest. We learn that even the best of people make mistake and that life is hard. The main characters, Kyle and his ex wife, Casey, face what is perhaps the toughest situation any adults can face. I was concerned that I would leave the novel being depressed, yet it was quite the hospital. Ultimately, we learn that people are tougher than they seem and resilient and that communities, even those with problems, can pull together when it really matters. I love books like this where the reader grapples with substantial and important themes that are conveyed through dialogue and situation versus being thrown at you as a directive by the author. Ms. Lange builds characters in a way that is amazing. They are humans, with faults, but by the end, you find that they are the type of people that you want to have coffee with and live with.
I am someone who loves to write and this book is a role model for me.
Thanks to NetGalley and Celadon Books for providing me with this advanced readers' copy in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the gifted ARC. All opinions are my own.

Bookish thoughts: What Happened to the McCrays is my third novel by author Tracey Lange. It was a slow burn story with a dual timeline that had many characters. I kept a list of all of them, which I found to be well developed and relatable. I enjoyed the book which contained themes of family, relationships, hockey and resiliency. I have enjoyed all of her books but The Brennans holds a special place in my heart! If you enjoyed any of her previous books, this book will resonate with you.

What an emotional ride…this book shattered my heart and then made it whole again. What Happened to the McCrays is raw, emotional, heartbreaking, heartwarming and one of the best books I’ve read in a long time. It’s a beautiful, character driven story about a resilient couple whose marriage couldnt withstand the grief, guilt, and pain from a horrific tragedy. It’s about their close knit community that supports them through the healing process, including a very special middle school youth hockey team. Lange writes about very heavy topics but does it in a sensitive way that makes the reader feel all the many emotions that the characters are experiencing.

I listened to an ALC and the narrators did an impeccable job from start to finish. I wholeheartedly believe that the audiobook helped enhance my overall experience. They were able to portray all the guilt and pain the characters were experiencing which strengthened my connection and empathy for the characters.

This story reminded me of Beartown, one of my top reads last year, in many ways. If you loved Beartown as much as I did, then this is the book for you! I can’t stop thinking about the unforgettable characters and emotional story plot. I can definitely see this book being one of my top reads for 2025. I obviously highly suggest this book, but I also suggest checking the TW before reading.

I found myself reaching for numerous tissues while reading this poignant tale. Tracey Lange has a remarkable talent for crafting deeply emotional narratives. "What Happened to the McCrays" is laden with tragedy that profoundly impacts Kyle and Casey, a couple whose love has endured since their teenage years. However, the weight of their hardships drives them apart. A middle school hockey team, along with their friends and family, rallies to help mend their relationship. This marks my second encounter with this author, and she excels in portraying family drama and trauma. If you appreciate such themes, this book is a must-read!

I loved the premise of this book! A couple who have divorced is forced to come back together when a family member's health is on the line. The dual perspectives and narratives play such a great and impactful role in this book. It helps unveil the story so well! The chapters were almost addictive because you wanted to see where the next puzzle piece landed. The story unraveled so nicely and all the characters were likable even when they were doing unlikeable things. I don't normally cry in books but I cried at least twice!

Read if you like a second-chance romance with dual timelines and small-town vibes. Thanks to the publisher for the ARC in return for an honest review. This book releases 1/14.