This was such a beautiful exploration of second chances as it corresponds to grief and loss. When Kyle McCray returns to his hometown after his father suffers a stroke, he is forced to face the past, and people, he left behind. I thought Tracey Lange did a great job at unraveling this story in a slow, but purposeful pace. It felt like we really got to know Kyle, and his wife, Casey, as parts of their past were revealed. This book was emotional and made me cry. Lange is really cementing herself as an autobuy author for me!
The comparisons to Beartown are accurate, I think, because again, I am not a hockey fan, but thought the addition of this plotline made sense and was well developed.
Thank you Celadon Books for the copy through NetGalley!

Now this was just freaking excellent. From chapter one, I was sold. I needed to know everything and more about Kyle McCray and his whole damn life. The writing was impeccable and I thought this story about the heart-wrenching grief that a family had to endure was written to perfection. I actually choked on sobs at points. I was frustrated, I was sad, I was happy, I was heartbroken, I was everything. And I kissed and hugged my kids a whole f*cking lot. There is one major trigger warning that lays super heavy that’s basically the entire plotline-be forewarned. But man oh man- @tracey_lange - you’re good girl. This was something. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

What Happened to the McCrays? By, Tracey Lange
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

When you are broken and isolated from your past, can you ever mend? Kyle gets a disturbing phone call about his father's health and he must return to take care of him. Returning back home, he will have to face his failed marriage and the result of his leaving without explanation.

The plot is multi-dimensional and the characters well developed. As the story progresses, the reader learns of the complicated relationships Kyle ran from and how he faces each one. There is growth in all the main characters and their understanding of one another's point of view.
There is a sweet dog that helps a bit, too!

This was a captivating narrative that allows the reader to experience deep emotions and a renewal of connections.

Thank you, NetGalley and Celadon Books, for the advanced reader's copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

#NetGalley #WhatHappenedtotheMcCrays #WomensFiction #Healing #Grief #Relationships

When Trigger warning: child death, divorce

What happened to the Mccrays , Follows Kyle and Casey Mccray and their life in their small town of Postdam. Kyle left the town two years problem and no one knows why. But when his father has a stroke he is forced to come back to postdam and deal with everything that he left behind.

Lange knows how to explore complex characters perfectly. She made me so impatient during the present chapters and the ones set in the past as well. She expertly develops every single character in this book. Even the side characters and the kids who are a part of the middle school hockey team. I wish that I could say more but I wont. If you consider reading this you should go in not knowing much!

Oh my gosh. When I say I love a family drama, this is what I’m after. Tracey Lange delivers every time.

The way she used dual timelines to draw you closer to the characters and reveal their imperfections was so effective. And the storyline of the middle school hockey team was everything to me.

This is a story of redemption, and I loved it so very much.

Thank you Celadon and NetGalley for the e-arc!

What Happened to the McCrays? by Tracey Lange
Narrators: Stephanie Németh-Parker and William DeMeritt
Rating: 5 stars
Pub date: 1/14

Thank you so much to Celadon Books for my advanced copy and to Macmillan Audio for my complimentary audiobook. #Macaudio2024
Tracey Lange has done it again with What Happened to the McCrays?, a heartfelt story about family, second chances, and the healing power of community. The book follows Kyle McCray, who reluctantly returns to his hockey-loving hometown of Potsdam, New York after his dad suffers a major stroke. Kyle left his life behind two and a half years ago, leaving his wife, Casey, and everyone else to pick up the pieces. Now, he’s back, hoping to stay under the radar, but of course, small towns don’t make that easy.

As Kyle tries to help his dad recover, he’s forced to face the mess he left behind. From his strained marriage with Casey to the people he let down, the weight of his past is everywhere. Coaching the struggling middle school hockey team ends up being an unexpected chance at redemption. Slowly, Kyle starts to reconnect—with himself, with Casey, and with the town he thought he could leave for good.

Tracey Lange is an auto-buy author for me, and this book is a great example of why. This story is full of real, flawed characters who are just trying to do their best, even when they make mistakes. Lange’s writing hits all the right notes—bittersweet, heartfelt, and ultimately hopeful. You’ll find yourself rooting for Kyle to make amends and for Casey to find peace.
I listened to this one on audio, and the dual narration was incredible! Both narrators did an amazing job with the characters and brought the story to life for me.

If you love stories about family, forgiveness, and small-town life, this book will hit you right in the feels. Grab some tissues and settle in—you won’t want to put this one down.

Read if you like:
*Beartown
*small town
*family drama
*dual POV

I can officially say I've read all three of Lange's novels but this one is by far my favourite. She is the queen of messy family drama whether she likes it or not. I love how each of her characters are relatable in some way, and they almost always just tear at my heartstrings. WHAT HAPPENED TO THE MCCRAYS is emotional, heavy, (I sobbed) but also hopeful and witty (I did laugh too!).

I especially loved the small town hockey vibe. Rumour has it this is what readers felt after reading Beartown, and if I could bottle up that feeling I would. Five big stars for this one!

Thank you Celadon and Netgalley!

This book explores the complexities of grief, love, and healing while combining two things I love: stories about family dynamics and the world of hockey. My family is deeply involved in the sport, which added a personal connection to the story.

I fell hard for Kyle and Casey. Their fractured marriage stems from an overwhelming and tragic loss rather than a lack of love. The grief they carry is suffocating, and their inability to comfort each other in the wake of their shared tragedy felt so raw and real.

Lange explores their individual journeys of healing. Time, they say, allows healing—and through Kyle and Casey's emotional arcs, I felt the slow but undeniable shift from guilt and sadness to something far more hopeful. I found myself rooting for their emotional reconciliation, regardless of whether they ultimately got back together.

Stephanie Németh-Parker and William DeMerritt's audiobook performance is stellar. Their narration brings these emotionally complex characters to life, infusing their voices with the subtle, often painful, layers of grief and yearning. Their performances don’t just convey words—they breathe life into the characters' hearts, making every moment of healing, forgiveness, and love feel genuine. By the end, my heart simply melted. Highly recommend!!

Complicated. Emotional. Moving. Heartening. Memorable.

Kyle McCray abruptly left his hometown of Potsdam, N.Y., over two years ago. He is called back to help with his father's rehabilitation from a debilitating stroke. As soon as his father can manage on his own, Kyle plans to leave. Casey, his wife of sixteen years, wants Kyle to leave soon, too...

"What Happened to the McCrays" is Tracy Lange's third novel, and I have read and loved all three of them. She writes heartwrenching yet hopeful stories about families in crisis. This one focuses on the fractured marriage of Kyle and Casey and how their estrangement has impacted not only their family and friends but also the community.

Lange's writing style is straightforward, clear, and uncomplicated, making reading effortless. The chapters are short, which I love, helping the pages flip quickly. This story explores themes of forgiveness, second chances, relationships, and the importance of community support in the healing process.

"What Happened to the McCrays" is another well-written, character-driven story from this author, and in my opinion, her best one so far—highly recommended!

5⭐

Thank you to Celadon Books and Tracey Lange for the DRC through NetGalley. This is my honest and voluntary review.

Tracey Lange does it again. Another 5 star read for me!

This story is based around a couple whom you find early on in the book has divorced after 20 years together. This book takes you through the journey of how the couple met and what they went through in their 20 years together.

The author knows how to write her characters. There was so much depth in her characters that at the end you were left wanting to be part of their family.

This book does have a strong tie to grief and mental health so proceed with caution.

A big thank you to Netgally and Celadon Books for allowing me to read an early copy!

I have read and loved the author's previous two novels, so I had to get my hands on her latest. What Happened to the McCrays is a family saga, like the other books by the author. It was a well written, intricate family drama with likeable characters. The thing I enjoyed less, as I previously mentioned, is the redundancy towards the last quarter of the book. By the end, I couldn't wait for the suspense to end and to find out how the story unfolded. But I was so glad it did and it put an end to my misery. So sorry to those who loved it, but this was my least favorite of the authors three works so far. Despite that, it was still one of my favorite books of the month.
Thank you Netgalley and Celadon books, as well as Tracy Lange, for my advanced reader's copy to read and review.

While I usually hate dual timelines, I liked this one. It was well-written. The story was great. I loved the flawed characters that still made you love them.

My third book from Mrs Tracey Lange. I have been reading her family dramas since she introduced us to the Brennan’s. Which to this day is my favorite of the families. I feel like this one veered off a bit from the other two books. It felt more like simple fiction instead of mystery… and that’s exactly what I have enjoyed from her other books. Overall, just ok characters and storyline.

Thank you so much to Netgalley and Celadon Books for the advanced copy of What Happened to the McCrays. Tracey Lange has written one of my favorite books ever - We are the Brennans so I was extremely excited to dive into her new book! What Happened to the McCrays did not top We are the Brennans for me, but it was a solid read. It was an extremely emotional book that dove deep into the most unthinkable of life events. It is not a light read, but I am happy to have read it. It will stick with me for a long time.

Kyle is called home amidst news of his dad’s stroke. He’s been gone a couple of years and you get the idea pretty quickly that he left in a rush under bad circumstances. What unfolds is a propulsive family drama featuring themes of grief, loss, marriage, estrangement, forgiveness and more. I thought this was well done! I was really invested in Kyle, his ex Casey, learning what tore them apart, and figuring out if they’ll be able to come back together. Please research triggers on this book! It packs quite an emotional punch. My only complaints involve “everything that can go wrong will go wrong” for one character. Can’t they catch a break?! Besides that, I’m eager to look up this author’s backlist. Thanks to NetGalley for this digital arc!

Tracey Lange is well-known for her family sagas at this point and is a staple author of the formula. This book, while not as good as her previous outings (in my opinion) did not disappoint! An emotional and captivating tale, this had me reading well into the hours of the night.

Well this book tore a hole right in my heart. I am a sucker for an emotionally damaging story, and this was def one!! I loved the alternating timeline, how we got to see Kyle and Casey before, and after. My heart aches for them, for the hurt and pain that was so clearly there, but also for all they had and what was still there between them. I couldn’t put this one down. I loved the hockey team element!! Loved how Kyle paced on the front lawn. I loved Wyatt and Danny, and the support they had around them. Be prepared, this deals with some tough stuff. But I love a second chance, and this one gave me a great one. Highly recommend!!!

I went into this book knowing nothing except that it was a BOTM pick. By the end the characters felt like family and I didn’t want to say goodbye 😭 I felt EVERY emotion!! Although it’s not a genre I usually gravitate towards, this reallyyyyy made me appreciate well-written literary fiction. I usually struggle to get into more character-driven stories but these were *chef’s kiss*. Highly recommend if you’re looking to feel all the feels and be engulfed in snowy east coast vibes. Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC! 📚

I love a good family drama. This took a turn I wasn't expecting and ended up being more heartbreaking than I thought it would be.

My goodness this book broke my heart over and over. Easily a contender for favourite book of the year. It was so moving, so heartbreaking and beautiful in its own way.

It's so hard to write reviews about books that I've loved, because there's so much to say yet simply saying this book was incredible feels like enough. Tracey Lange is an incredible storyteller, bringing you into her world and her characters lives like they're friends.

If you loved Beartown, I think you'd love this book. It's full of grief, family and forgiving and most importantly - love and finding it in our own ways.