I loved Tracey Lange’s first novel so was excited for a chance to read and review “What Happened to the McCrays.” Here, the McCray in question is Kyle, who returns home after several years of being away in order to assist his father who is recovering from a stroke. He also will need to face the music with Casey – his ex-wife and high school sweetheart whom he left behind those years ago.

Kyle’s reasons for leaving his family are unclear but flashbacks help the reader under his relationships—with Casey, hockey and the small town he’d fled. Lange reveals just enough information to keep the reader hooked, taking the time to develop not just the novel’s characters but its setting too.

Lange’s previous novel, “We Are the Brennans,” also masterfully handled dysfunction and memorable yet flawed characters. I apparently missed out on "The Connellys of County Down," which I plan to soon correct.

Thank you the author, NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC of this novel.

Kyle has been called back home after his dad suffers a stroke. Uneasy about his return, seeing his ex-wife, Casey, his difficult Dad, and other folks in town, all of whom he left abruptly two and a half ears ago, he 's determined to get there, take care of his Dad and stay out of sight.
As Kyle becomes involved with coaching the local school hockey team, he and Casey reconnect. The struggle of breaking through the nearly insurmountable wall of grief is heartbreaking but beautifully written. The guilt of past experiences haunts Kyle as he takes steps to overcome and leave the past behind, while imagining a life again in his hometown.
Once again, author Tracey Lange, has written a beautiful book!
I loved it! I could hardly set the book down and I was glued to the story rooting for Kyle and Casey to be able to move past their grief and look forward together. A wonderful story of loss, love, redemption and forgiveness. A book that I won't forget.

Thank you to NetGalley,and Celadon books for the opportunity to read this amazing book in exchange for an honest review.

Content Warning: Death of a child and attempted suicide

This was my first time reading Tracey Lange and I feel like that is an enormous oversight on my part because this was superb.

Kyle and Casey McCray are a now divorced couple who are forced back into each other's orbit following a family emergency. The story of their relationship unfolds across the years from high school sweethearts to estranged acquaintances. Their pain is palpable. The small town that looks out for its own helped to balance the poignant atmosphere. The beautiful sense of community was a nice way to make the story feel grounded in reality. The world around you doesn't stop when bereavement hits though it feels like it should. Casey's brother Wyatt was a memorable character and my favorite. He is in a wheelchair, but Lange didn't make his handicap his personality and I loved that. Wyatt's larger than life personality, kind heart, and his tell it like it is style made him a cornerstone. Although this is a gut wrenching read there is hope woven throughout.

Lange pulled off an amazing story without taking the easy way out. There's no nauseatingly sweet moment where everyone decides to move on. Her characters trudged through the mire of loss and as someone who has been there, I felt like she captured much of the emotional toll.

Heartbreaking and hopeful this one wrecked me in the best way.

Because I enjoyed the author’s previous novels, I knew that her latest novel would be just as or more enjoyable.

What Happened to the McCrays is a novel of family relationships, the drama that comes with it, and how certain circumstances beyond our control can alter the course of relationships. It is a novel that evokes both heartfelt and heartwrenching emotions.

The story unfolds between two timelines — past and present that carriers the reader through the main characters’ passage from late teens into adulthood. Along the way, there are several turning points that highlight the why’s and how’s of the protagonists’ current status within the family and community.

With a feel good ending and characters so real and fleshed out, there isn’t anything not to like about the novel. Five stars.

I was invited to read a DRC from Celadon Books through NetGalley. This review is completely my own and reflects my honest thoughts and opinions.

Tracey Lange is a master at writing family stories and What Happened to the McCrays is no exception. She truly has a gift for writing characters that I feel like I could know in real life who are experiencing real life issues - almost to the point that I forget I'm reading a fictional story. I was lucky to pair the audio version with the ebook and the exceptional narration from both Stephanie Nemeth-Parker and William DeMeritt really helped to bring the characters to life for me. This is a book that has stuck with me long after reading the final page. An easy five stars!

Lange does conflicted families so well. What Happened to the McCrays follows estranged couple Casey and Kyle after two years apart. You go into the book thinking the story is just about Kyle leaving quickly and then having to come back after his father has a stroke, but Lange slowly unwinds the story about the how and why of the leaving through flashbacks and conversations with the people he left behind as Kyle makes amends. I loved the side story of the young hockey team and watching Casey and Kyle grow through them and reckoning with their relationship. Not to spoil anything for anyone, but there are some serious topics of death and self-harm in this book. I both read and listened to this title and both were equally good. A big thank you to Celadon Books and NetGalley for the early access in exchange for my honest opinion. 4.5 stars

Tracey Lange writes wonderfully well-done family dramas. She knows how to write the complexities, trials and tribulations they face. This is one of those books that is going to make you feel so many emotions. My heart broke for some of the problems the family dealt with. Then I was overjoyed with the triumphs they faced. The characters in Tracey Langes books are always so well written. They are beautifully layered and contain the complexities of real people. They just feel real, and that makes my heart go out to them. This is one of those books that would be perfect for a buddy read or a book club because there is so much to discuss.

I switched back and with this one in my print copy and my ALC copy. The audio was really well done, and the narrators did such a great job bringing it to life. I think that they really added an extra layer of emotion to the story which was a great touch.

If you’re looking for a well-done family drama, then check this one out. You won’t want to miss it.

Kyle left his hometown abruptly. When he returns to town after his father has a stroke, he must confront the aftermath of his decision, as well as the circumstances that caused him to leave. The book explores how a devastating event can affect a marriage.

Tracey Lange’s What Happened to the McCrays? is a heartfelt story about family, forgiveness, and finding second chances. When Kyle McCray returns to his hometown after his father’s stroke, he’s forced to face the pain he caused by leaving suddenly two years earlier. His strained relationship with his wife (or is it ex-wife?!), Casey, is especially moving, as they both struggle to heal from their past that the reader learns about little by little as the book continues.

Becoming the coach of a struggling middle school hockey team gives Kyle a chance to reconnect with the community and rediscover his purpose. The team adds warmth and hope to the story, showing how people can grow when they come together. This book is emotional and heavy at times, but it’s also full of love and healing. It’s a powerful reminder of how hard—but important—it is to face the past and make amends. If you enjoy stories about family and redemption, this one is a great pick.

I LOVE this book!!

The publisher's description tells you what you need to know about the plot, but it doesn't address Tracey Lange's tremendous skill in creating complex, realistic, and flawed characters, and the believable situations they find themselves in. She makes you feel all the emotions the characters feel, and the sense of community and support in Potsdam just might make you envious.

This is a poignant, heart-breaking, uplifting story that I won't soon forget! This is the second book I've read by this author, and I rated each of them 5 stars. It's official - I'll read anything this author publishes!!

My thanks to Celadon Books for permitting me to access a DRC via NetGalley. Publication is 1/14/25. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are strictly my own and are freely given.

What Happened to the McCrays is the third book I’ve read by Tracey Lange and by far my favorite. It is a masterclass in portraying the fragility of the human experience and the weight of grief. The story beautifully illustrates how, despite the tragedies and pain we endure, life keeps moving forward, compelling us to gather the pieces and carry on.

The small-town setting in this book reminded me so much of the one I grew up in. In places like these, everyone knows everyone—and all their business, too. The shared history among the townspeople allows them to show up for each other without needing to ask or explain; they simply know what we need, often before we do.

The book captures how people respond to grief in their own unique ways, emphasizing that there’s no right or wrong way to navigate loss. The characters felt incredibly real and vivid, spanning from their high school years to adulthood. Their depth and relatability made me feel like I truly knew them.

This is a stunning, heartfelt story that lingers long after the final page.

What Happened to the McCrays follows a divorced couple in both past and present POVs. I am amazed by Tracey Lange's talent to make me care so deeply about these characters. They felt so real, and I devoured this book in one sitting.

I received an ARC and ALC from Celadon Books and Macmillan Audio via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I have loved Tracey Lange’s first two novels and receiving early access to this next read was so exciting! I loved Kyle and Casey’s journey, but have the tissues ready!

Having enjoyed the author's previous books, I was bummed that this one didn't work for me. The story is about a divorced couple. The husband leaves town after they separate and finds his way back to town to help a family member. The plot, character-development, and style of writing felt too in-your-face and obvious. The story dragged and the plot was both too sad and too forced. It reminded me of a dark Hallmark movie. Do those exist? I think I'm in the minority as this was a miss for me but has high ratings from so many. Grateful to the publisher for the advanced copy.

Thank you Net Galley. I've read Brennan's other two novels, and love how she writes about family drama. While set on the East Coast, each of her novels have a unique setting which provides its own ambiance. I appreciate how she manages to slip in a link to her other novels, but quietly so that each story is its own. This particular novel speaks to loss and how it impacts each family member differently, and how love can still remain. A really good family relationship read.

What Happened to the McCrays? by Tracey Lange
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Kyle McCray is across the country when he learns that his father is in the hospital after a stroke. He returns home to help care for him. He hasn’t been home since he left suddenly over two years ago. Now he is back he will need to answer for why he left.
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What I liked:
-Tracey writes the best emotional stories that just rip my heart out, toss it around a bit, then gently put it back, and stitch everything back together.
-Seriously, I cried so much reading this book. Bring tissues.
-There is just the perfect amount of gradual reveals to the story telling.
-There is just ending made my poor battered heart so happy.
-Also there’s a dog.
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4⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I loved Kyle and Casey’s story.

When his father has a stroke, Kyle McCray reluctantly returns to his hometown to care for him. Two and half years ago, Kyle abruptly left town abandoning his father, his friends, his employees, and Casey, his wife of sixteen years. When asked to coach the struggling middle school hockey team, Kyle finds an chance for redemption. But to stay in town permanently, he must make peace with Casey as the book slowly reveals what caused a love-filled relationship to collapse so suddenly.

Tearjerker alert. I cried several times while reading Lange's latest novel which, I should add, I devoured in one day. Tracey Lange knows how to tear my heart and then put it back together in just the right ways and I am loving her family dramas. The complicated intertwining of grief and guilt that destroyed their marriage is painfully realistic and hits you like a truck but the hopeful ending provides the catharsis you need to warm your heart back up.

4.5
This is a serious family drama that deals with the loss of a young child and a fractured marriage. I was sucked into the lives of Kyle and Casey and the community of Potsdam. Lange writes an interesting story with compassion and the right amount of pacing and intrigue. My only critique is that the ending seemed to drag out and I thought the last conflict could have been omitted. Still, a great story that handles some difficult material. Lange does a great job writing about emotions and relationships.

Oh dear. I really don't enjoy writing a negative review. I'm sure this book will appeal to some readers, but it is far from what I would call literary fiction. It is not well-crafted. The mystery is why Kyle left his hometown of Potsdam several years ago with deep feelings of shame. A third of the way through the book, the author is still teasing that question while portraying Kyle as an admirable man. Are we going to discover that he is actually a villain? The story drags on and on with ultimately irrelevant details about a high school hockey team as well as a depiction of some of the serious psychological problems that Kyle's ex-wife suffers after the sad event that prompted Kyle's feelings of guilt and shame.
I really wanted to like this book. I wanted to experience what life is like in the town of Potsdam, NY for a teacher, a hockey team, a coach, a young couple, etc. There were such moments (waiting at the railroad tracks in your car for a train to pass while trying to avoid a conversation with your ex who is in the passenger seat) but the sense of place was pretty thin.
Fans of Lifetime movies will be more appreciative of the drama the author creates here.

A beautifully written family drama, What Happened to the McCrays will pull on your heartstrings. I highly recommend this newest title from the author of We Are the Brennans and The Connellys of County Down.

Kyle returns to his hometown in a small working class community in upstate New York after his father suffers a stroke. Reluctant to return home after his sudden departure two years ago, he’s forced to confront the impact his absence had on his family and coworkers. Casey, his exwife and highschool sweetheart has mixed emotions about his return.

Dual timelines gradually reveal Kyle and Casey’s perspectives on their marriage, the tragedy and the guilt they each carry. Full of well developed characters and complex in-depth relationships, Lange’s newest title tells a heartfelt story about a community and the lasting impact of tragedy. This poignant and hopeful story will stay with you long after the final page.

Thank you to NetGalley and Celadon Books for the advanced reader’s copy.