I am always excited & honored to receive an ARC of a title but I was even more excited about receiving What Happened to the McCrays by Tracey Lange. The characters, the family drama, the incredible story..... solid 5 star read for me that I am recommending to everyone!

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, & the publisher for an ARC copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Two and a half years ago, Kyle McCray left Potsdam, New York behind and traveled across the country to end up in Spokane, Washington where he now lives and works. He left family and friends behind including his father, his employees, his friends and his wife, Casey. When he receives a call that his father has had a massive stroke, he returns home, not expecting much of a welcome. He plans to stay in Potsdam to help his father, but to lay low otherwise. The longer he remains home, the more he realizes how his leaving affected others. When he is offered the opportunity to help coach the middle school hockey team, he accepts, even though he will be working with Casey. The more comfortable he feels in Potsdam, the more he wants to stay, but can he and Casey live in the same town anymore?

I have 3 Tracey Lange books on my TBR shelf based on recommendations from blogger friends, but this is the first one I've actually read or listened to. I will be reading the rest soon. I enjoyed this story of family, community, grief and self-discovery. Casey and Kyle were high school sweethearts and I enjoyed their story. I also loved Wyatt, Casey's brother who is in a wheelchair, but a strong, independent man. Kyle's father is a man who has changed as he aged. He is not longer the strict, hard man, but is thankful for others, and actually tells Kyle he is proud of him for the first time. What happened to drive a wedge between this family? The characters are well developed, relatable and realistic. They could be your friends or neighbours and I really wanted them all to reconcile and become a family again. Even Kyle and Casey's dog, who lived with Casey and Wyatt, was leary of his arrival back in town. There is a lot of hockey talk in this book, but you don't have to be a sports fan to enjoy this book, it is a vehicle to bring Casey and Kyle together and show the relationships between the kids and the staff at the school, where Casey is a favourite teacher. This is a story of love, family, secrets, regrets, and hope. The emotion is palpable at times, and when it is revealed what happened to tear this family apart, I was in tears. There are layers to this story that have to be peeled back, and what has been unsaid over time causes that to be painful to the characters and emotional for the reader. I definitely recommend this heartfelt, family drama with all it's feels. I listened to this story and loved the narration. Stephanie Németh-Parker and William DeMeritt were perfect for the dual POV of Kyle and Casey. I loved the voice for Kyle's dad as well as the other characters. If you enjoy a good family drama, one that has lots of highs and lows, then I definitely recommend you pick up What Happened to the McCrays?

What Happened to the McCrays? Why did Kyle leave town and the woman he’d adored for so many years? What will happen now that he’s returned after two years away? How will he face the people he left behind?
This is my second novel by Tracey Lange and it was just as good, if not better. Lange has shown she can create characters who are human and flawed that will have you invested from the first page. Kyle and Casey still have so much love for each other, but there is so much they need to work through, in their relationship with each other and the people in their lives. My heart broke for each of them as the story unfolded. Told from both Kyle and Casey’s points of view, and as a dual timeline of then and now, I found it difficult to walk away from this one.
Stephanie Németh-Parker and William DeMerritt narrate the audio version of WHAT HAPPENED TO THE MCCRAYS? adding another layer to the narrative, bringing the characters to life. I recommend this novel to anyone who enjoys well-written character driven novels.
Thanks to MacMillan Audio for the opportunity to listen to an early copy of the novel.
#MacAudio2025 #WhatHappenedtotheMcCrays #TraceyLange

Not my favorite of Lange's books but I still enjoyed this family drama. A mix of a family mystery and lost love will keep your attention but also help you feel a part of the family as they find their way. This is not a suspenseful mystery, more of a slow revealing of the details.

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!!

I love that Tracey Lange's books are always about real life. It's messy, but could actually happen to a person. This book is no different. It follows a family through tragedy and overcoming the grief of the tragedy even years later. It's a beautiful. Definitely not light or "fun" but engaging and a great story.

WHAT HAPPENED TO THE MCCRAYS?
Tracey Lange, Author
Stephanie Némouth-Parker / William DeMeritt, Narrators
Women’s Fiction

This book is centered around one small town and the prodigal son’s return. While some in town are not thrilled to see Kyle McCray again, some are a little more forgiving. Especially when he takes on the role of the hockey coach at the middle school.

I love books about small towns and this one was no exception. I don’t know if it was because I grew up in a small town or what, but this one did not disappoint. I would give this book a solid 5 out of 5 stars.

Based on the title, I was thinking this was a thriller. I was surprised to find it was a family drama - and an emotional one at that! The character development was great. You really got a sense of who they were and how they were feeling. Audio was dual narrators and there were dual timelines too. I'm interested in going back to read Tracey's other books. Thanks to MacMillan for the copy of this book! #macaudio2024

Tracey Lange is excellent at writing stories with complex family dynamics and well-drawn characters, and What Happened to the McCrays? is no different in that regard. A poignant, moving, enthralling story, I couldn’t help but read through it in one sitting.

Stephanie Németh-Parker and William DeMeritt did a fantastic job narrating the audiobook.

Thank you Tracey Lange, Macmillan Audio, and NetGalley for providing this ARC for review consideration. All opinions expressed are my own.

When Kyle McCray gets word his father has suffered a stroke, he returns to his hometown of Potsdam, New York, where he doesn’t expect a warm welcome. Kyle left suddenly two and a half years ago, abandoning people who depended on him: his father, his employees, his friends—not to mention Casey, his wife of sixteen years and a beloved teacher in town. He plans to lie low and help his dad recuperate until he can leave again, especially after Casey makes it clear she wants him gone.The longer he’s home, the more Kyle understands the impact his departure has had on the people he left behind. 

I have read every one of Tracey Lange’s books and she has such a knack for writing a dynamic, heart-warming family drama. Her writing style is beautiful and she immediately pulls her readers in by writing complex, flawed characters that make you feel as if you know them. What Happened to the McCrays is a layered, multi dimensional book that deals with family drama at the root - but also goes into a bit of second-chance romance and mystery as well. Kyle and Casey are such wonderful characters and their growth within the book was so fun to read. They both are dealing with loss and grief (trigger warnings),yet found ways to push through, find happiness, and forgive themselves for the situation that occurred long ago. At the core this book is all about the resilience of a person and the power of love. I did a mix of reading and listening to this book and both formats were beautiful. Stephanie Memeth-Parker and William DeMeritt did a phenomenal job at creating a captivating story.

I really enjoyed Tracey Lange's previous books, so I was excited for the opportunity to listen to "What Happened to the McCrays?". This story kept me interested and was an enjoyable read. Reflecting back on small town living and family dynamics I couldn't stop listening!

My honest review in exchange for an advanced copy of this audiobook. This was my third read by this author and it was, unfortunately, a major letdown for me, though I know it'll work for some. Personally, between the unending hockey, the middle schoolers, and the frustrating romance, I could find very little to enjoy. This is the type of book where you have to like, or at least accept, the huge amount of hockey talk, because its underlying themes of grief and forgiveness were not strong enough to make it "not be a hockey book." If you can handle that, this book may be a good fit for you. Otherwise, it's a skip.

I loved this book - it is my kind of book where you feel like you know the characters and live in their town. The family dynamics were believable for Kyle and his dad - how a son coming home would have no idea how to help his father recover. I did feel that Kyle and Casey's story was a little harder to accept - the cat and mouse game of their marriage and divorce could have been more direct. The hockey theme is very popular in books right now and I enjoyed the small town feel of this.

I listened to the audiobook and the narrators did a good job. This isn’t my usual genre but it was so well written. I loved the detail that the author put into it and I could feel the emotion in every word. Highly recommend this one.

I've been a big fan of Tracey Lange ever since reading two Book of The Month selections she wrote; The Connelly's of County Down and We are the Brennens. I found both stories wonderful with great character development and fabulous storylines. In fact, they were both difficult to put down. Naturally, I jumped at the chance to listen in to her latest novel, What Happened to the McCrays?

After a dynamic opening chapter with Kyle, I had a strong feeling I was going to be in for another winner. What I found, however, was myself mostly frustrated throughout this story by a female lead who is her own worst enemy, self-sabotaging and hell bent on keeping up a miserable existence. The narration was on point, both narrators did a wonderful job and kept me listening.

I extend my gratitude to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for the advanced audiobook. The opinions expressed herein are genuinely my own.

Argh, the ACHE of this book! Somehow Lange has managed to perfectly capture the missed cues, the missed communications, and the hurt and love behind them in long-standing relationships (particularly married couples felled by tragedy, as in this title). I loved every touching minute of this one. Bittersweet, touching, at times poignant...a solid, solid recommend from me.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the opportunity to preview this title in exchange for my honest opinion.

Tracey Lange is an auto-buy author for me. I love her books.

When Kyle McCray's father has a stroke, he tries to sneak into his hometown of Potstown, NY and care for him. At one time, he was the local hockey star and husband to the love of his life, Casey. Now, he's just a disappointment who abandoned all of it, including his father and Casey. As he slowly tries to reconnect, Casey continues to push him away until he is offered a chance at redemption by coaching the middle school hockey team that Casey is involved with as a teacher.

We start to see glimpses of why their marriage failed from both perspectives. Will they have another chance?

I gave this one ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️. It is a story second chances and a lot about how we handle trauma and grief. I enjoyed the audio of it!

Thank you to @macmillan.audio and @netgalley for the ALC!

Kyle McCray left his hometown of Potsdam, NY and severed ties to his family. But when he learns his father has had a stroke, he heads back from the West Coast to the place he grew up. His return isn’t an easy one. Less than three years earlier, he had abruptly taken off, abandoning his wife of 16 years, his thriving business and all his friends. Now he must face his past while trying to help his father recover.

Kyle and his former wife Casey can’t help but re-connect since she has been helping care for Kyle’s dad since he fell ill. She is a teacher, the manager of the middle school hockey team and the one who seems to keep everything running smoothly. But Casey has problems of her own that underly her appearance of stability. When Kyle was young he had been a star hockey player and upon his return, his old coach wants him to help with the boys’ team. Since he has time on his hands, Kyle agrees, despite it bringing him together with his ex-wife who’s currently the team manager.

From the very first scene we learn that Kyle is a good guy. Still, his sudden departure has baffled many in the small town and he isn’t sure how to explain his actions to them. Readers also wonder about why he left and what caused his strained relationship with his wife.

Lange has a talent for writing a story that flows beautifully and carries readers along on her journey. She lets her characters endear themselves through their frailties and foibles. We root for them to cope with their awkward and stressful relationships. Their problems unfold slowly and old tensions are revealed. The story is moving and touching as we learn about the circumstances of the demise of Kyle’s and Casey’s marriage. The answers we all seek are stated in the title and are squarely at the at the heart of the novel.

Stephanie Nemeth-Parker and William DeMeritt narrate the audiobook and add the perfect voices to the narrative. One can’t help becoming invested in the character's interactions and the questions at the root of their estrangement. A remarkable and insightful novel by a talented writer.

Coming at you with What Happened to the McCray’s - still catching up on reviews. It is a look at a failed marriage from both sides as exes are reunited and come together for the sake of middle school hockey and family issues. I loved the themes of resilience and forgiveness and learning to move past all of the pain and the hate. There was something so comforting about this book. Seeing broken people rebuild and come together. And with such deep character development that the characters felt so real. So easy to get lost in this family drama.

Thanks to Macmillan Audio for the gifted ALC!

WHAT HAPPENED TO THE MCCRAYS? is the perfect read for fans of Tracey Lange and Beartown. I'm a sucker for a small town coming together, apparently especially when there's hockey involved. I loved how the failed marriage was handled, including the loss of a child as a heavier storyline. Tracey really just writes family drama like no other, and I loved this on audio as narrated by Stephanie Németh-Parker and William DeMeritt.