I read and loved Tracey’s previous two books, and was so excited to read an early copy of WHAT HAPPENED TO THE MCCRAYS?

I can’t stop thinking about this book that I finished it two weeks ago. I went into this one knowing little about it. The way the story unfolds is perfection and kept me hooked. I was left heart broken and in tears at times and thought the emotional surprises that kept coming really made the story one that is not easily forgotten. The ending was the absolute best.

I loved everything from the characters, relationships, the middle school hockey team, to the small town and how they supported each other.

5 stars and also jumped at the chance to order it from BOTM

When Kyle McCray's father has a stroke, he returns to Potsdam, NY after a 2 1/2 year absence. His return opens every wound he knew it would, but he nonetheless finds it difficult to leave. The middle school ice hockey team needs him as a coach, his former brother-in-law needs his counsel, and his father needs a chauffeur. The one person who doesn't seem to need him is the one he needs most--his ex-wife, Casey.

Tracey Lange has an incredible knack for creating flawed families the reader cares deeply about. As the reader pulls away the layers of onion to reveal what indeed did happen to the McCrays, their heart will break just as Kyle's and Casey's did. Incredibly sad but also hopeful, this novel will draw you in. And once again, Lange evokes a working-class town. #WhatHappenedtotheMcCrays #NetGalley

This book was so much more than I was ready for. It had the family drama, the mystery, found family, and second chances. It kept me guessing throughout the beginning which really made me want to binge read. I finished this in 48 hours and don’t regret it. It was emotional and raw. The grief shown by both Casey and Kyle was palpable even though they both showed it differently. The story line of Kyle becoming coach and forced to work with Casey was a great subplot because it allowed for some humor to be injected into a pretty heavy story. Definitely a solid 4.5 stars from me and I will be recommending to my friends.

What Happened to the McCray's by Tracey Lange, wow, what an emotional journey!

The character development in this book is excellent. Lange really knows how to create complex, relatable characters that you root for, even when their lives are falling apart. The way she weaves their backstories and motivations is incredible, and you can't help but get attached to them. As the plot unravels, you are constantly wondering what exactly did happened to the McCray family. It kept me on the edge of my seat.

Lange’s writing just keeps getting better and better. Her ability to capture the struggles of broken people, the complexities of family dynamics, and the rawness of human emotions is unmatched. She is truly a master of writing about life's messiness.
At its core, this book is about life’s complications and how we learn to deal with them. It’s about forgiveness—of others and ourselves—and about never giving up on the people we care about. A beautiful reminder of hope.

As many of you know, I’m a sucker for books that leave subtle references to past book and Lange does this once again in this book. Lange also hits on one of my other loves, books that I can travel with! Potsdam, NY isn’t far from me, maybe it’s time for a road trip! Plus a booksgram meet up with some upstate New Yorkers!

Would I recommend this book? Yes! If you enjoy family drama, excellent character development, or a story about real life, this is for you. You’ll find yourself drawn into the lives of the McCray family and their journey of healing and self-discovery.

I was captivated from the first chapter.
The characters, family dynamics, small town, and relationships all felt so real. As did the depictions of grief, love, guilt, community, loss, joy, pain, resilience, and forgiveness.
The story is told with the perfect blend of familiarity mixed with the unknown - details and events are slowly doled to out through hints and flashback scenes - giving a low level of suspense that had me desperately wanting answers, rooting for these characters, and unable to put the book down.

When Kyle is forced to return to the small town he abandoned several years ago, he is faced with his own misdeeds as well as the misunderstandings he left in his wake. In true fashion for this author, it is quite a bumpy road for the characters and the ending isn’t quite a perfect world. But this one felt a bit less fraught than her previous books and things seemed to come together a bit easier for all involved. Maybe something a little less turbulent is what we all need right now because Ms. Lange remains a must read author for me.

I loved this novel so much. It’s about family, love, grief, community, resilience, and hope. Beautifully written, I forgot where I was while I read this novel, as I was transported inside the pages of this emotional story.

This is my favorite novel by this auth0r and it is beautiful, taking the reader on a journey of dealing with the challenges of life, the disappointments, the heartbreak, as well as the good times. I loved the theme of community and belonging and how these can provide hope and much needed strength. The small-town setting and the middle school hockey team reminded me of Beartown by Fredrick Bachman but this novel has its own wonderful unique voice.

Highly recommend this haunting, heartfelt novel.

My thanks to the publisher for this complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.

Dear What Happened to the McCrays,
I just love Tracy Lange's writing. She has a beautiful knack for finding the heart in each of her characters, even after impossible circumstances. The slow and careful way that your story was unraveled had me just needing to know more about what happened between Kyle and Casey. My heart broke over and over for the pain and heartbreak that they both went through. I couldn't imagine trying to survive all of the loss that all of the McCray's have gone through. Everything in their marriage felt inevitable but it didn't make a second of it less sad. I loved you, because you made me feel all the things.

Tracey Lange reigns as the queen of family drama, crafting stories that grab your heart and refuse to let go.

Her characters? Oh, they’re flawed, messy, and so heartbreakingly real, that you’d swear they were sitting right next to you, spilling their secrets.

Love, Loss, and Second Chances

Lange skillfully weaves a story of a fractured marriage, forcing her characters to confront the ghosts of their past in a way that’s both raw and deeply human. From the first page, I needed to know what happened to the McCrays. Why did Kyle leave his wife, Casey, and his small hometown? And what would happen now that he’s returned to care for his father after a debilitating stroke?

At the heart of the story lies the love between Kyle and Casey—a love that you can feel still lingers, despite what drove Kyle away. The way their story unfolds is both heartbreaking and beautiful. Lange peels back their past layer by layer, making you wait (sometimes agonizingly!) for the truth. And when those reveals finally come? They hit with the force of a freight train.

The Layers of Love and Pain

Lange has an incredible ability to convey the weight of everything unsaid—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.

And those quiet moments. They carry so much emotional weight. Lange shines brightest there.

Tough but Tender

There are tough, heartbreaking scenes—ones that could be triggering. The emotions build naturally, pulling you deeper into the story. The balance between raw pain and the deep love shared among the characters is masterful. My heart melted at the love between Kyle and Casy, even as it broke for the pain they endured.

Audiobook vs. eGalley: A Perfect Pair

I was fortunate to experience this story in both audiobook and eGalley formats, and I can wholeheartedly recommend both. The narrators brought so much heart to the audiobook, making it easy to follow and deeply engaging. Their voices added a layer of warmth and authenticity that complemented Lange’s prose perfectly.

Tracey Lange’s writing is a delicate balance of heartbreak and hope, weaving deep emotional truths into every page. What Happened to the McCrays? is a story of love, loss, healing, and redemption that lingers long after the final chapter. It’s tender, raw, and unforgettable—a must-read (and must-listen) for anyone who loves a family drama that feels achingly real.

5 stars, 4 cries, 0 notes ✨ I’m a fan of Tracey Lange - definitely enjoyed the Brennans and the Connellys - but the McCrays’ story is in its own league.

Nobody writes fierce, stubborn love quite like Tracey Lange. Each relationship in the McCrays’ small hometown is unique and heartbreaking, imperfect and often estranged, from spouses to siblings to parents and children to neighbors.

Lots of heavy content and themes to unpack in this one, but at its core, it’s a story of a family and a town fighting through heartbreak together and picking each other back up again and again. Can’t recommend it enough.

Thank you to Celadon Books and NetGalley for the ARC. This was one of my most anticipated books and I loved it.

Casey & Kyle's story was filled with weight + warmth + emotion + vulnerability.

TRACEY LANGE is an expert at writing family dramas, this time taking us to Potsdam, NY, inside a close community, a failed marriage and middle school hockey team.

Kyle McCray makes the reluctant return to the home he left without even a goodbye over two years ago. HIs father just suffered a debilitating stroke and needs his help. And while Kyle is well aware that he won’t receive a warm welcome, the person he’s most nervous to see is Casey, his wife of sixteen years.

Kyle plans to lie low, help his father and get back out of town as soon as possible. But things don’t go according to plan. And Kyle quickly learns he can’t avoid his past when he’s just walked right back into it.

This is so much emotional weightiness and gravity to this story, which is told in dual perspectives and dual timelines. We see the evolution of Kyle and Casey’s relationship, starting in high school through the moment Kyle leaves. The authenticity of their relationship permeates the pages and their love story managed to break my heart and put it back together.

There is an outstanding cast of supporting characters who help shape this story and while there is weight to the story, there are also moments of levity and tenderness.

It’s an engrossing story. You might want to have the tissue box handy. I’ve been a fan of LANGE since I read her debut WE ARE THE BRENNAS (which I will never stop recommending). PS - Nice to *see* you Mickey Brennan.

Tracy Lange scores another winner with this wonderful story of second chances after heartbreak. I have been smitten with each of Lange’s books, and I keep waiting for a “slump”, but this is not the book.

These characters and their stories feel real and plausible. And in true Lange style, the characters are perfectly imperfect, with secondary characters that don’t feel like they’re thrown in as filler. Cannot deny there were some tears shed at various moments.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Celadon Books for providing me with a complimentary eARC in exchange for my honest thoughts. I recommend you add this to your 2025 reading plans when it releases on Jan 14.

What can you say about this book other than it was amazingly beautiful! Lange did it again with yet another masterpiece about a family that is trying to navigate through their grief and find their way back to each other. When Kyle gets a phone call saying his dad had a stroke and he needs to come home he knows he’s going to have to come face to face with those people of his past that he abruptly left. With time Kyle realizes how much he missed his old life and the people in it.

This was a story of forgiveness and the power grief can have over us. It was beautifully written and will stick with me for a long time.

Thank you to Netgalley and to the publishers for allowing me to read this advanced copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

This book captured the heartache in a marriage that was so full of love. It portrays a strong sense of community in a small town. The author knows how to capture all the emotions of the main characters as well as the rest of the town. The only part that felt a little false to me was the dialog at the end in front of the team. I felt that should have been a private moment between the two. Otherwise it was a heartfelt and happy conclusion to the story. Enthusiastically recommend!
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced eGalley of the book. All opinions expressed are my own.

Kyle left his hometwon 2.5 years ago, abandoning his wife, Casey, his father, and his employees at the car repair shop he owned. When he learns that his father had a stroke, he needs to return home to care for him. While he's home, he's given the opportunity to coach the middle school hockey team and potentially make amends with his friends and family.

I adored this book. I cried some real tears throughout. It was so emotional in the best way. You could tell there were secrets and things that you as the reader were being kept in the dark about but not in a frustrating way. The reveals were well timed. I just wanted to give this book and all the characters and big hug when I was done. Tracey Langes' best book yet. If you like Beartown, I think you'd love this one.

This was such a fun who-done-it.
Eve, a journalist, gets an assignment to travel the English countryside to write the obituary for Bernard Fitzpatrick, a famous cellist. Once she gets there and starts interviewing people, the police change the cause of death to murder. Now Eve feels she now needs to investigate the murder as well as gather information for the obituary.
At first glance, this sleepy small town seems like the last place a murder would take place. But after Eve starts talking to the townspeople, she realizes that that it could be any number of people. As Eve interviews more people, she realizes that there were multiple people with motive and opportunity. The exciting ending finally reveals the killer.
This was a fast paced cozy mystery that I would highly recommend.

“‘Sometimes you’ve taken all the shots you can,’ he said. ‘And then it’s time to let someone else carry the puck for a while.’”

Tracey Lange has done it again! WOAH what a way to start off 2025. I knew I would love this book as I absolutely devoured We Are The Brennans and The Connellys Of County Down (both 5+ stars for me). But even I was shocked at how fully I was immersed into this community and into this family.

The writing is so raw and real I felt the McCrays emotions viscerally. I was there with them…yelling at them for not opening their eyes and frustrated with them for their stubbornness at times. I was rooting for their success as if these people are in my own life. The mystery unwraps like a present and I did not see it coming.

These feelings are what I pray for every time I crack open a new book. Tracey is now firmly an *I will read anything she writes* author. An *auto-buy* author. A *please never stop writing books* author. If you enjoy stories about the importance of community, hockey, or the realness that is unimaginable grief, then without a doubt add this to your tbr now!

“That’s how grief works. You have to feel it so you can heal it, not bury yourself in it.”

Thank you to Netaglley, Celadon Books, and the author for the ARC in exchange for my honest thoughts.

Once again, Tracey Lange shows she’s a force to be reckoned with when it comes to family dramas that pack all the feels. What Happened to the McCrays? is a beautifully written, heartbreakingly poignant story of grief, loss, and healing. The relationships between the characters are deftly crafted with care and nuance, and their paths to forgiveness and finding love are fraught with raw, relatable emotion. The sense of community in the small town of Potsdam and surrounding the hockey team adds to the charm of this touching novel. Highly recommended for fans of Lange’s other books and Beartown by Fredrik Backman.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Celadon Books for providing me an advance copy of this book.

What a book to end the year on!

Thank you so much @celadonbooks and @macmillian.audio for the early reading and listening copies of this stellar book!

Tracey Lange’s ability to depict family dynamics in a relatable and heartfelt way is truly unmatched in my opinion. This story centers around Kyle and Casey McCray and how they navigate love and loss and all the gray in between. There are some tougher topics explored so I would definitely recommend checking out the trigger warnings before reading, but Lange does it in a way that is so….real. This book had me riveted from the start, had me frustrated at times, crying at times, and laughing at times, which is what all families go through.

I really, really enjoyed the dual narration of Stephanie Nemeth-PArker and William DeMeritt. It brought the story to life and there were many times I didn't want to get out of the car because I didn’t want to stop listening.

Highly recommend this one.

Title: What Happened to the McCrays?
By: Tracey Lange
Pub. Date: January 14, 2024

Genre:
Fiction, Contemporary, Women’s Fiction, Family, Drama

Trigger Warnings:
Loss, Grief, Depression, Suicide

Summary:
Kyle married the love of his life, Casey but then tragedy strikes, and his life quickly unravels…he chooses to run away. He can’t handle all his emotions, so he disappears for a few years. Then Kyle receives unexpected news that his father is in the hospital and decides it’s time to make a quick trip home. However, the longer he stays, the more Kyle yearns to repair his relationships and return to the life he once had. Will Kyle find what he is looking for? Or will it be too hard to let go of life’s tragedy?

Review:
Tracey Lange has done it again! Thanks to Netalley, She has quickly become an “Auto Read” for me. This is her third novel and I have thoroughly enjoyed all three. I love Lange’s writing style, she masterfully weaves family relationships by evoking empathy with the reader, and sends the reader on an emotional roller coaster ride! She does not disappoint in her latest novel “What Happened to the McCrays” where Casey and Kyle are deeply woven characters who offer characteristics of love, hope and most importantly forgiveness. You will remember their story long after the last page. I highly recommend this read!

Thank you to Tracey Lange, Celadon Books, and Netgalley for the Advanced Readers Copy for free. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

#WhatHappenedtotheMcCrays
#TraceyLange
#CeladonBooks
#reluctantreaderreads
#advancedreadercopies
#NetGalley