What Happened to the McCrays? is an intriguing family drama told in both past and present timelines. After Kyle McCray receives word that his father has suffered a stroke, he returns to his hometown of Potsdam, New York. As he begins to navigate this crisis with his father, Kyle is reminded of everything and everyone he walked away from two and a half years ago. As Kyle unavoidably reunites with friends and his ex-wife Casey, he is forced to confront the past and feelings he may have pushed aside. I really enjoyed the past and present storytelling in this book, and felt invested in Kyle as well as Casey and appreciated the full picture the author portrayed of love, grief, and burdens we often carry only within ourselves. I would highly recommend this book if you are looking for a family drama, but also a story of community, friendship and love in many different forms. Thank you to NetGalley and Celadon Books for the advanced copy of this book, all opinions are my own.

This is not the genre of book I normally read however it was recommended by a friend and am I glad I did! This book is phenomenal, its emotional with an engrossing story, I really could not put it down. The characters are well fleshed out, the story moves quickly and it is easy to read. I highly recommend this to anyone needing a 5 star read!

Tracey Lange’s What Happened With the McCrays is one of those books that’s hard to put down. I love a good "people book," and this one delivers in spades. It beautifully explores themes of family, love, loss, and community, with just the right touch of sports to add another layer to the story.

What makes this book truly shine is its relatability. The setting is so wonderfully grounded—normal, everyday life that feels familiar and real. There’s nothing over-the-top about the characters or their world; these are people you could easily imagine as your neighbors, your child’s coach, or a teacher at the local school. That sense of authenticity is what makes this story so powerful.

Lange’s characters are richly developed, each carrying their own burdens and navigating their own relationships, yet they feel like part of a larger, interconnected story that pulls you in. The emotional depth is striking, but it’s balanced by moments of warmth and connection that remind you of the strength of family and community.

I debated between 3 and 4 stars; however for many this will be a solid 4 or more. For me it reads a bit too much like a Nicholas Sparks book. On the one hand that is meant as a compliment. For me though I’m not a fan of the genre. I will though read more from this author as she is a great story teller and develops wonderful characters.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an early release in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Kyle McCray returns to his hometown of Potsdam, New York, after learning his father is in serious condition after suffering a stroke. His return is not a welcoming event to those he left behind a few years before when he abruptly left town, abandoning his father, the employees at the auto shop where he worked, and his wife of sixteen years, Casey. Despite it all, he worked hard to get his father back on his feet again so he could return home.
Kyle soon realized that his sudden leaving town years before had a greater-than-expected impact on his former friends and family. The local school hockey team was not playing well and needed a coach. This was an opportunity to redeem himself. After he took over the coaching position for the middle school hockey team and they had a big win, he became a local hero. His feelings towards leaving town and returning home began to change, but his strong feelings for Casey remained, and he couldn’t leave town unless they could resolve their issues.
Could the strength of a once strong love for each other bring them back together? It is a heart-wrenching story about the power of love and how two people can put aside painful memories and restore their lives together.

This is a compelling story of love, loss, and forgiveness. Casey and Kyle suffer a tragic loss that breaks apart their storybook romance. When another tragedy forces them together, can they repair their relationship? The characters in this story are very human and finely drawn. I found myself quickly rooting for all of them, and shed a few tears as their story unfolded. If you like authors such as Kristin Hannah or Elin Hilderbrand, you will enjoy this book.

After reading and LOVINGGGGG the Connelleys of County Down, Tracy Lange can do no wrong in my eyes. Another guy-wrenching family drama with lovable characters that you just want to see win in life. The emotions this book brought out of me!!! I’m reading everything she writes.

Read If You Like:
- Returning Home after Trauma
- Strong Family Ties
- Stories about trauma & secrets
- Second Chance Romances
- Emotional Plots
- Themes of forgiveness, healing, and community support

Tracey delivered a heartfelt story that made me feel all the feelings yet again!

What Happened to the McCrays? is a heart-wrenching exploration of dynamics of a marriage ripped apart by the weight of grief and guilt after a traumatic event that severed a marriage down the middle and the love that remains buried by grief and guilt.

The story centers on Kyle, who reluctantly returns to his hometown of Potsdam, New York, after his father suffers a debilitating stroke and is asked to return home to help provide care to his father. Kyle’s return forces him to face the fallout from his abrupt departure just over two years prior, including his strained relationship with his dad and the end of his 16 year marriage to the girl across the street.

As Kyle steps back into his life, he once knew like the back of his hand but has been on the run from, he discovers how deeply his absence has affected himself at a deep level along with those he cares about. The trip home also allows him to see all that he missed and secrets kept from him while he was away, while also uncovering the deeply buried secrets that lead to ruin of his marriage to the love of his life and contributed to his departure from the only home he had ever known.

The story of the McCray’s delicately examines themes of forgiveness, the struggles of being a caregiver, loss and grief. and the way communities can provide strength and support to heal.

To say that Tracey knocked this out of the park is an understatement. She brought the characters to life, their grief, and their love which made the story truly so stunning and had me sobbing along with the characters as they processed the cards that life handed them, and worked on picking up the pieces instead of running from the things that scare us and leave our hearts forever changed.

Thank you to Celadon for the gifted advanced reader copies for the Pages and Prose Bookclub! This was our January Bookclub pick and couldn’t be more thankful! Also huge thanks to Celadon for my gifted e-arc and to Macmillan audio for my gifted ALC!

What Happened to the McCrays is a beautifully written story about a failed marriage told from both points of view. Kyle and Casey are easy to relate to, and their story will stick with me, This book made me laugh, cry and shake my head. Well done Tracey Lange!

It was also fun to read a story based in Potsdam since I currently live in upstate NY.

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

It was a deeply moving novel and a perfect winter read that hits all the high points that make a good story
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for letting me review the book

Very good book. My favorite books are books set in places I know so I was really excited to read this book as a resident of the North country! I thought Tacey did a fantastic job capturing the essence of our culture. I had already loved we are the Brennans so I had high hopes and it didn't disappoint. I loved the characters and the setting and the writing style. The subject matter was super heavy and really sad and as the mom of an 8, 10, and 12 year old it was really hard to read about Charlie but that goes to show how good of a writer Tracey is. Will recommend to all my friends

What a perfect winter read—Snow, hockey, and a little bit of family drama and mystery. I love stories that feel normal but hit deep. I laughed, I cried and wanted to slap Casey a few times, but you empathize because it’s all relatable. My favorite type of book wrapped up into one. Chefs kiss Tracey Lange, you have solidified a spot as an auto read for me!

Thank you net galley for this early release ebook in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed this, but not as much as her last two! I felt the book dragged a bit and the I lacked the investment in the characters I have had in some of Lange's other stories.

This is my second read from this author -- I have to admit, I much preferred Brennans. This was too slow of a burn for me -- albeit, the length was great/short from that aspect. Also I'm not a hockey-in-stories fan. So there's that ;) I didn't have the constant draw to the story this time around to not put it down when other stories came in my peripheral.
At her core, this author is phenomenal in presenting family drama, in all it's form and dynamics.

A son comes home after dad has a stroke. He knows he will face uncertainty with those he left behind -- but as the story unravels, between "Then and Now", we find out the "why" he left, and the "fallout" of current emotions still lingering. I did not expect the full gut punch of the total reveal (as a parent) -- it delivered.

Overall, I'm glad I read this and look forward to more from this author. Solid 4 stars because I know this will appeal to many!
Thanks to NetGalley for the chance to read and provide an unbiased review.

If you're looking for a book that throws you into all of the good, bad, and ugly parts of 30+ year relationship, this is the one for you. Tracey Lange makes sure that you know these main characters-makes you feel their happiness, their angst, and most definitely their grief. I love the way Lange used the dual timeline to slowly bring you into "what happened to the McCrays"; it turned those reveal moments into a gut punch. I highly recommend this book, especially to those who were fans of the television series "This Is Us," as it gives the same back and forth through time while exploring a relationship and makes you grab for that box of tissues.

Thank you Celadon for the review copy! Tracey Lange has a talent for captivating and engaging family dramas, stories that feel relatable and filled with the push/pull of family love and stress and strain, the complicated sense of loyalty and unconditional support filled with the tension that emerges when challenges in families arise, when we are with people we know so very well. What Happened to the McCrays captures this so well and I am reminded why I love a good dive into a character driven book about every day families navigating turning points and life after change and challenge, the journey to new acceptance and new ways of thriving.

I’ve now read all three of Tracey Lange’s books and I can easily say this one is my new favorite. I loved the subtle mystery element of this one as you engaged with the characters and storyline. It kept me reading until the very end. Highly recommend!

Really great, emotional read. I couldn't put the book down, even though it was so sad at times. I had to know what happened. Despite the tragedy that the main characters endured, there was a lot of hope in this book--and the middle school hockey players also provide some comic relief!

Wow! When I started this, I honestly thought it was supposed to be a mystery/suspense type novel. I had received an ARC from NetGalley and needless to say, I did not read the description. I am not going to lie; this book left my heart in pieces. I will post trigger warnings below and I highly suggest reading them before reading.
This book was so well done. It jumps back and forth between “then” and “now” to tell the story of Kyle and Casey’s love story and relationship as well as what split them apart. There are so many characters in this book, but I truly believe they all needed to be there. The main characters and side characters were believable and relatable. The author does a great job keeping you in the story even when you keep wondering, “What broke these two apart?”
This was my first book by Tracey Lange but I can confidently say I will be reading more. She approaches family grief, tragedy, healing, mental health, and so many other important topics so well. She opens up both sides to all of these things and really helps a reader to understand how these hard life things can affect us all differently.
I would highly recommend this. I did a mix of audio and ebook and I was a big fan of the audio.

Trigger warnings:
Grief
Suicide
Death of a family member
Stroke
Divorce

I've happily been on a roll of 5 star reads so far in 2025, and that streak is continuing with What Happened to the McCrays? by Tracey Lange. Having enjoyed both of her other books, I was excited to add this one to my TBR, and I would say it's her best one yet. Her writing is excellent, and her characterization is second to none. The characters all feel so real, and I felt the emotions they went through and actually teared up in a few places.

It tells the story of Kyle and Casey McCray, high school sweethearts who were happily married and living in the small town they grew up in, until tragedy struck their lives. Ultimately Kyle left, running far away, and they divorced. Two years later, he returns to town to care for his father after a stroke, and has to face everything he left so abruptly. You don't know all the details at once; Lange is a master at revealing everything in the perfect pacing, via an occasional chapter set in the past. As I mentioned, the writing is just so good, and I felt so strongly for both Kyle and Casey and was hoping they'd work it out (no spoilers here). I also loved the side characters, all the complicated family dynamics at play, their dog, their house, and their small town. All of it was just so good.

There were definitely sad and heavy parts in this book, so don't expect a light read, but it was tempered with hope, and I loved it. A huge thank you to Celadon Books and NetGalley for granting my wish and letting me read this. Lange is now going on my auto-buy author list. 5 well-earned stars.