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

#book #books #bookAddict #BooksOfInstagram #bookstagram #bookstagramer #bookshelf #reader #pbooklove #bookreviewer #WhatHappenedtotheMcCrays

Tracey does it again! She is so great at making you FEEEEL for her characters. I loved the story being filled with hockey, how close the McCrays were, and the pain/grief we felt for Casey and Kyle. I wish I didn’t read it in two days because I loved it so much and wanted to stay in Potsdam, NY a little longer.

“Sometimes you’ve taken all the shots you can, and then it’s time to let someone else carry the puck for awhile.” 😭😭

Thank you to Celadon Books for the advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review!

Get it! Out 1/14/25

I have loved all of Tracey Lange’s books but this has been my favorite so far. The story of what happened to the McCrays is so heart breaking and relatable. Casey and Kyle’s journey was not an easy one but I was rooting so hard for them and the unforgettable cast of supporting characters. This book cemented Tracey Lange as an auto buy author for me.
**Be sure to check trigger warnings before reading because this book deals with some triggering content.

What Happen3d to the McCrays was a novel filled with characters that were so well-written, it felt like they were friends. As Kyle and Casey reunite to help Kyle's dad readers are slowly given clues about the events that led to their divorce. Overall, I couldn't help rooting for this couple. I really loved this novel!

Thanks to Celadon Books for the #gifted copy of this book.

Summary: Kyle and Casey are high school sweethearts, but they haven't seen each other or even been in the same state for the past 2 years. But after Kyle's father had a major stroke, he's back in their hometown to help his dad. The longer he stays, Kyle discovers the impact of his abrupt departure from their town on those in his life. As his stay continues, Kyle is asked to help out with the failing middle school hockey team. Kyle begins to enjoy the temporary life he is rebuilding in Potsdam so much, that he might want to make it permanent, as long as Casey agrees to this plan.

Thoughts: Wow!! This book blew me away and I was hooked from the very beginning. It had so many different themes throughout with the big ones of forgiveness, second chances, and new paths forward. I must admit that this book had me feeling so many emotions throughout and at times had me crying (which I don't do very often during books.). I loved how real these characters seemed throughout the pages as if I were reading a real story. As a mom, this was difficult to read in certain parts as it just broke my heart. Please be sure to check trigger warnings before you read this one.

Read if you love:
💕 Family Drama
💗Small Towns
🥰Second Chances

Thank you, #Partner @celadonbooks @Macmillanusa, for my #gifted (free) copy.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️+ /5

Oh goodness, this book deserves all the stars. Lange seriously knows how to write a powerful and heartfelt story that brings  tears to my eyes and will stay with me forever. This is such a tragic love story, and it really shows you the meaning of how important communication really is. Pre-order and add this one to your TBR list!

When Kyle gets a phone call that his dad has a stroke, he feels obligated to return to his small hometown in Potsdam, New York. Kyle abruptly left home almost three years ago and not in the best way. He returns home and must face his family, friends, and ex-wife. Kyle realizes life in Postdam went on without him, and a lot has changed.

I loved this book and think it’s Tracey’s best one yet!

Two and a half years early after divorcing his high school sweetheart, Kyle left his hometown. When he gets a call that his father has suffered a stroke, the place he never wanted to return to he finds himself in, being around his ex-wife and what drove them apart, and coaching the middle school hockey team.

Tracey knows how to write a family drama and parts of this story broke my heart, but thankfully it was put back together in the end. Casey and Kyle are both broken with the history between them and each dealt with their grief in very different ways. I loved all of the characters in this book and each path that their story went down.

I have become a huge Tracey Lange fan. She has the ability to create characters that I immediately am drawn to. They’re just that real.
In this story, Kyle McCray has left his hometown of Potsdam, leaving behind his father and ex-wife. Then, he gets a call that his father has suffered a stroke and he needs to return home. Given how he left everyone in the lurch, he knows it’s not going to be an easy homecoming. The reader is only slowly told the facts on why he left. I loved that Lange doesn’t try to create a good guy/bad guy situation. Everyone has their reasons and they’re all understandable. It’s a strong family drama that also incorporates the whole small town vibe, with folks needing to rely on each other. As Lange says in her Acknowledgement, “One of the themes of this book is the importance and power of community.”
It deals with grief, and the different ways people respond to it. It also covers guilt and how we hold ourselves to impossible standards. The ending got a little sappy but overall it worked.
I was lucky to get a whole box of this book from Celadon Books as a book club giveaway. We’ll be discussing this on Monday and I can’t wait.

Lange delivers another outstanding family drama that is poignant, heartbreaking, and utterly compelling.

Kyle and Casey are divorced, and Kyle has moved across the country. However, when his father suffers a stroke, he returns to the small town he grew up in, where he must confront his ex-wife. As the layers unfold, we discover the beginnings of their love story and marriage and what caused its end. Lange is a masterful storyteller. This is beautifully written and layered. I rooted hard for them to reconnect.

Lange draws you in with relatable characters, situations, and a mix of heartache and hope. The characters, particularly MCs Kyle and Casey, are richly developed. But I also enjoyed the secondary characters, as they all face their own struggles. The community plays a significant role in the character's lives, and this one was tight-knit and lovely. I really came to care for this cast and was moved to tears more than once.

The audiobook is immersive and very well done, with excellent dual narration. Stephanie Nemeth-Parker and William DeMeritt embody their respective characters beautifully. The story has many complex and raw emotions that Lange writes compassionately while the narrators breathe life into them and add nuance. I could not stop listening and thought about this book for days after I finished. This is one of my top reads of the year!

Thank you to Celadon Books, Macmillan Audio, and Netgalley for the gifted review copies!

yle McCray begrudgingly returned to his hometown to care for his father. In doing so, he was forced to face everyone he left behind upon his quick exit. Kyle was especially nervous to see his ex-wife, Casey, as he knew complicated emotions had wreaked havoc on their relationship. When the hockey team’s coach quit, Kyle was given the perfect opportunity to reconnect with family and friends.

I dove right into this story as I was excited for a new Tracey Lange release! Her writing style is familiar, comforting, and I loved the subtle tie-in to We are the Brennans. Lange’s characters again felt realistic and were faced with life’s common challenges and heartaches. Overall, this was a good listen and I felt for the main characters and their struggles. Had there been a bit more character development with Charlie’s character, I would have felt even more connected to the characters and their story.

Thank you to Celadon Books for a gifted ALC of this title.

What Happened to the McCrays is a contemporary novel about a man who returns to his hometown to care for his ailing father and confronts the people he left behind, including his former wife.

Kyle McCray left his hometown in New York over two years ago to start over in Washington, but he’s unexpectedly called home to help his father recover from a stroke. His extended stay means he’ll have to face his failed marriage to his high school sweetheart and everyone else he left behind. His ex-wife, Casey, has tried to move on after a devastating loss and Kyle’s departure, but the local middle school hockey team desperately needs a coach, and Kyle is their best option.

Tracey Lange does a terrific job of writing about complicated families and couples. There is a lot of loss in this book, which can be difficult to read at times, but it’s a beautiful story about moving on after grief and finding your way back to each other.