Tracey Lange was a new to me author and my gosh have I been missing her writing from my life. This book was amazing. I am going to go see what I can find in her backlog now.

Tracey Lange is exceptional at creating strong characters. I felt like I knew Kyle and Casey and was invested in their relationship. Unfortunately something didn't quite work with this book. It's pretty clear early on what tore their marriage apart and yet iit takes forever for it to be revealed. By the time it is. It almost doesn't matter anymore. There's too much unnecessary details bringing it down and I found myself skimming passages. The ending also seemed very obvious.

5 stars!

Thank you to NetGalley and @celadonbooks for the ARC of this novel.

Kyle has returned to the small town he left to care for his father. It’s no secret Casey is not happy to see him arrive across the street. Their story will make you smile, break your heart, you will no doubly love both of them and their surrounding community.

This novel has it all: love, hockey, triumph, pain, and my favorite a lovable dog.

Sensitive readers: This novel has a lot of trigger warnings which I normally would list. However, Lange writes about them in a careful and empathic way. Listing them would give away the book. Trust your heart on this one.

I will absolutely read anything Tracey Lange writes! You should make sure you read this book ASAP!
Life is hard. Life is beautiful. This book is full of hope for a couple that once shared a beautiful life but just can't seem to forgive each other or themselves for the times when life was hard. This book gave me all the feelings - some I wanted to feel and some I didn't. 4.5 stars

Read this if you like:
•small towns
•complicated family dynamics
•grief/healing/sad girl romances
•dual POV

oh my heart. This book was heartbreaking and also heartwarming. So much depth in this book. Lots of heavy topics handled so delicately. Thank you NetGalley!

I was lucky enough to get a copy of Tracey Lange's latest novel through Netgalley, but I already read it through BOTM!!

This is Lange's best work yet. This is a heartbreaking story of Kyle and Casey told in both their point of views. The chapters alternate between then and now and Lange does a great job unfolding the history of the McCray family.

This is a heartbreaking read with a lot of triggers, including child death. I was completely invested in the story and routing for Kyle and Casey throughout. Lange does a great job showing how lack of communication and internalizing feelings can change the trajectory of one's relationship.

I loved Lange's description of the Potsdam community, including their love of hockey and each other.

Highly recommend What Happened to the McGrays!

If you love a deeply emotional book about love, loss, grief, and the power of forgiveness oneself, this has to be on your TBR. I don't read a lot of fiction like this, but I really enjoyed my time in upstate New York with a formerly married couple, her brother, and a hockey team of tween-aged boys.

I've read all three of Lange's books and, to me, this was written and paced more like a romance novel than I remember her other books being. No complaints from me, as this is such a strong second chance at love story.

This book is incredible. Lange is a masterful storyteller who brings complicated family drama from every day, small town America to life in a powerful and relatable manner. With themes of hope, resilience, forgiveness, community, and healing, this story is one that will linger in my heart and mind for years. A stand-out, top read for me!

The McCrays centers on a couple, Kyle and Casey, from their teenage romance to their failed marriage. Kyle has returned home after a 2 1/2 year absence to assist his ailing father, and must face his former wife, coworkers, and friends. It is a difficult reckoning for Kyle and Casey as they work through the trauma that triggered Kyle's departure while learning one another's story of the past several years. When Kyle gets an opportunity to extend his stay in town via a Middle School hockey coaching position, he stays, and hopes for a possible redemption.

I want to clearly state that this book delves into some darker themes; loss of a parent, loss of a child, suicidal ideation/attempt, depression, and caring for an injured parent. Yet, despite the raw emotion found in these chapters, and Lange's gut-wrenching descriptions, I never felt inclined to set this book aside or stop reading. Rather, I felt incredible compelled to continue; to root for redemption and healing. Somehow, Lange has perfectly captures the true dichotomy of life; that is can be both tragic and beautiful, sometimes even at the same time. That love can be both familiar and foreign, and trauma can be both transformative and renewing. You will root for Kyle and Casey from page 1 to the end, and fall in love with a few middle school hockey players as well. All the stars!

this book broke my heart and then put it back together again. a tale of a family driven apart and tragedy, told largely as they meet again. 5 stars. tysm for the arc.

Kyle left town abruptly two years ago and is back to help take care of an ailing father. Once back he tries to stay low but starts to realize how much an impact he left behind on his family and friends including his beloved wife of 16 years.

This was a typical Tracey Lange book about Family strife and estrangement. Characters who don't communicate and a bit forgettable. With hockey in the background my go to comparison is Bear Town which this falls short but if you enjoyed we are the Brennans you will probably like this one as well.

I absolutely loved We Are the Brennans by this author, so I was so excited to read her next book! The family drama in this book was on another level. Kyle left his wife Casey about two years ago to move across the country after being together for 16 years. When Kyle comes back to his small town to take care of his father, he faces everything and everyone he left behind. This story was beautiful. I felt the love and pain both of these characters carried and found the book to be very emotional .

I love Tracey Lange. She's an auto-read author for me, and I'm so thankful that @celadonbooks surprised me by sending me an early copy of this. This book was one of my absolute favorite books from last year and I'm hoping to squeeze in a reread once the audio releases.
The book centered on Kyle McCray, who left his hometown a few years before, and left everyone behind. But then he was forced back and had to reckon with what he left. This book was tender and heartbreaking. It's told in the past and present so the reader got a full glimpse of these beautifully flawed characters. There's hockey and amazing middle school kids. It's a book surely to make you feel deeply and probably cry. I just loved every moment because of how raw and real it was. I savored it slowly. And it's also one that you should go into with no prior knowledge and just sink into the story.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Consider adding this to your TBR. Trust me. ⁣
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I’ve read and enjoyed all of Tracey Lange’s novels but this one quickly became my favorite. This one broke my heart and then put it back together. I cannot wait for more readers to experience this emotional story. From page one I was immersed into this captivating story. The writing was literary and flowed so seamlessly, unfurling layer after layer. Lives with deep love and deep loss. ⁣
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The characters felt like people I know- flawed yet fabulous, each with their own shame and shot at redemption. I particularly enjoyed the small town upstate New York setting along with the middle school hockey team and the corresponding secondary cast. ⁣
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It’s easily a five-star standout read that left me a huge book hangover. Thank you @macmillan.audio for the early copy.

Tracey Lange's What Happened to the McCrays? is a heartfelt story about family, loss, and second chances. Set in the small town of Potsdam, New York, the book follows Kyle McCray as he returns home after his father’s stroke, two years after abruptly leaving his family and friends.

The story explores Kyle’s strained relationships, especially with his ex-wife, Casey. Lange does an excellent job showing the emotions and struggles that come with broken relationships. Kyle’s new role as a hockey coach for a struggling team brings a hopeful element to the story, as both he and the team work through challenges together.

Lange’s writing is simple yet powerful, making the characters and their struggles feel real and relatable. The small-town setting adds warmth and charm to the story. With the overall message of healing and forgiveness shining through.

This book is perfect for readers who enjoy emotional stories about family and personal growth. It’s a touching and memorable read that leaves a lasting impression. I personally think this is my favorite Tracey Lange book which is a big statement given her other amazing books as of late.

4.5 stars rounded up

Love! This book was so good. It was filled with emotion, heart, sadness, regret, forgiveness, and so much more. I read this book with my book club and we all agreed it was amazing. Thank you for the opportunity to read!

4.25 stars

I have read all three of Tracey Lange’s novels now, and I have to say that her upcoming novel WHAT HAPPENED TO THE MCCRAYS? is my favorite. The author has a theme in all her writing so far, and that’s healing after crisis/tragedy. Her other two novels focused on big family sibling dynamics, but this one focused on divorced couple Kyle and Casey.

I think you might not know what to expect by looking at the cover. Were the McCrays taken from their house in the dead of winter? No. The McCrays are a divorced couple, and Kyle has been summoned back to his hometown to help out after his father is hospitalized. Casey still lives in the town. This novel moves back and forth between present day and the history of their relationship.

There are plot-related triggers in this novel (two big ones!), so check a more thorough summary if you feel that would turn you off.

Why I didn’t rate this higher is the main thrust of this novel isn’t very original. I’ve seen it quite a bit. I did think Lange had a deft hand in her writing though. She drops enough hints that you can piece together what happened before it’s revealed. Because this is a novel about healing and not one of suspense, I was completely good with not having any jaw-dropping moments.

I thought the main characters were good people going through stuff, so I had a good amount of empathy with them.

Thank you to NetGalley and Celadon Books for an advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

I love the way this author tells stories. This one had a little more of a romance plot in it as you have flashbacks of the two characters growing up. There is heartbreak in it but it ultimately is a beautiful story about healing and forgiveness. I think fans of this author will like the emotional depth that is in this novel.

TW: death of a child

I absolutely love Tracey Lange's writing! She is now 3 for 3 with me and officially an auto buy author! Her characters, her storytelling, and all the emotions they each bring out. What Happened to the McCray's? was exponentially sadder than I was prepared for. Even so, I simply could not put this one down. I wanted to stick it out to witness these characters, grow, and heal, and find whatever their version of happily ever after looks like. The narrators we SO good! I felt like their voices matched the characters well!

•Small town
•Third person/dual POV
•Past and present timelines
•First love
•Second chance at love
•Complicated family dynamics

4.5 stars

Thank you to Celadon Books for an advanced copy of this beautiful story in exchange for my honest review.

Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan for the advanced reader copy.

Tracey Lange did complicated family relationships so well in her previous two books and WHAT HAPPENED TO THE MCCRARYS is no exception. Casey and Kyle's love story--and then the tragic loss that pulls them apart--was honest and gut wrenching. While there are clearly plot levers that Lange uses to move her characters around the world of the story, nothing feels artificial. The end also felt well earned and not pandering. This is an author that's going to be an auto-read for me. Can't wait to see what comes next.

What Happened to the McCrarys? is out January 14, 2025

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

What Happened to the McCrays?
Author: Tracey Lange
Publication Date: January 14, 2025
Source: Celadon Books ARC

I don’t think it is too soon to tell you that I will consider this novel one of my best books for 2025. Tracey Lange has a gift for creating great characters who are memorable yet simple, with relatable life struggles. I don’t want to give too much away. Still, the story centers around a tight-knit community, especially a family, with Kyle and Casey McCray, parents of their only child, and an extended family of neglected children they keep under their loving wings of protection through school and coaching hockey. An epic tragedy tests this family, and we learn what it takes to come back from the deep depths of grief and find a way to live again. This book oozes with love, not just between husband and wife, but between the people surrounding the town of Potsdam, who prop each other up when needed. Life is hard, struggles are real, and grace surrounds us if we only remember to look for it. The McCrays face the worst, yet those who love work diligently to find a way back to the living. This story is a family drama with great backstories and interesting lead characters. A love story for 2025. #WhatHappenedTotheMcCrays @celadon #ARC @traceyLange #familyDrama #literaryfiction #love #loss #grief #selfBlame #struggles #community#hope #struggles #snow #hockey #renewal

I received a complimentary copy of this book. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own. Thank you to @celadonbooks, @netgalley and the author for the opportunity to read this novel. #CeladonBooks #CeladonReadsTogether @celadonbooks #ReadWhatHappenedToTheMcCrays @netgalley

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