The Good Ones Are Taken - by Taj McCoy (Paperback)

About the Book

"Months after a bad breakup, curvy tax attorney Maggie Felize Jones makes a dating profile hoping to find her 'Prince Charming'--but all she turns up are proverbial frogs. Thankfully, she has support from Garrett, who, after 20 years of friendship, knows her better than anyone and agrees to be both a sounding board and a protector through the online dating process. The chemistry between Maggie and Garrett is obvious to everyone, making it clear from the get-go who her endgame romance will be, even though Maggie is in denial. Then she meets heart surgeon Blake at the gym, and thinks she may have found love the analog way"--

Book Synopsis

"[An] exceptionally entertaining, superbly sexy love story that also freely embraces other important things in life, like friendship, family, and food." --Booklist

When Maggie's best friend admits he's in love with her, she'll have to decide whether it's worth giving up something good for something that could be amazing in this laugh-out-loud friends-to-lovers rom-com.

After a bad breakup, Maggie wants to find her Prince Charming, but all she's finding are frogs. When her best friends, Savvy and Joan, apply pressure and demand she find a date worthy of attending their respective weddings, she agrees to take her own advice and try online dating. Since she's the maid of honor for both weddings, her bridal party duties are massive, but both brides insist that Maggie prioritize finding a date. After an onslaught of maybes, noes and hell noes, she's close to giving up, when she meets a handsome doctor at the gym who just might be the one.

Meanwhile, her college bestie, Garrett, throws salt in everyone's game. At every turn, he points out the red flags and tells Maggie to keep looking. Things come to a head when Maggie demands that Garrett be happy for her, and he finally admits that he can't. Not when he's not with her. When he blurts out his feelings, Maggie's world is turned upside down. Now she must choose between the perfect guy and a friendship that is the foundation for everything she's ever wanted.

Review Quotes

"Another exceptionally entertaining, superbly sexy love story that also freely embraces other important things in life, like friendship, family, and food." --Booklist

"Fresh, sexy, and fun, THE GOOD ONES ARE TAKEN is another hit from Taj McCoy! This book has humor, wit, and a heroine in Maggie you can root for. McCoy always adds depth to stories that makes them impossible to put down. McCoy also answers the questions if all the good ones are taken and will she ever disappoint. The answer is a firm hell no!" -Catherine Adel West, author of The Two Lives of Sara

"Taj McCoy delivers a hilariously fresh take on dating in the modern world: the good, the bad, and the love that's been there all along. McCoy effortlessly weaves humor, heat, and friendship to create a beautiful romance. Readers are sure to be inspired by the protagonist, Maggie. She's bold with her desires and hungry for more. There is no settling in this love story." -Charish Reid, author of Mickey Chambers Shakes It Up

"A friends-to-lovers romance that showcases the hilarious trials and awkward tribulations of modern dating. With a friend group you'll want to grab brunch with, this self-assured heroine is determined to find her perfect match. Readers will savor the delectable food descriptions and fan themselves during the sensual love scenes. The hallmarks of a Taj McCoy romance are all here: delicious food, ride-or-die friends, spicy sex, and swoon-worthy love." --Danielle Jackson, author of Accidentally in Love

"Taj McCoy's writing positively crackles with energy, wit and humor. THE GOOD ONES ARE TAKEN is just the right amount of sweet and salty. Delicious like kettle corn. Yum." -Jayci Lee, author of Booked on a Feeling

"Taj McCoy does it again! THE GOOD ONES ARE TAKEN is a heartfelt, delicious (literally, the food descriptions made my mouth water), joy-filled, friends-to-lovers journey I'll never forget! The focus on friendship and community is just as strong as the emphasis on romance, and the impact is equivalent to a giant, comforting hug.
The chemistry between Maggie and Garrett is achingly good and their amazing tension had me cheering, swooning, and turning pages at warp-speed! Taj McCoy is a standout star of an author, and ALL THE GOOD ONES ARE TAKEN is a gift to readers everywhere." -Courtney Kae, author of In the Event of Love and In the Case of Heartbreak

"THE GOOD ONES ARE TAKEN is the kind of friends-to-lovers romance that will make you take a second glance at that guy you've been besties with for years! It strikes just the right chords of funny, sexy, relatable, and my favorite emotion when I'm reading a book--those moments when you want to shake the main character, so they can see what's right in front of them. I laughed, I yelled 'oh hell no!, ' and most importantly, I couldn't stop smiling anytime the two main characters were with each other. That's the sign of an incredible love story, and Taj McCoy delivers just that with a delectable sprinkle of some hilarious friends on the side." -Darby Baham, author of Her New York Minute

"Taj McCoy's writing is the epitome of flow, from dialogue to descriptions, to the exquisite best friends-to-lovers story in THE GOOD OENS ARE TAKEN. What a joy of a book! It's a novel where our heroine Maggie neither shies away from nuanced conversations nor the heart-trilling heat of romance. A true HEA!" -Tif Marcelo, USA Today Bestselling Author of the Heart Resort series

"This book was enchanting and delightful from start to finish. Rom-com fans will absolutely fall in love with Taj McCoy's writing!" -Elle Cruz, author of How To Survive a Modern-Day Fairy Tale

"Taj McCoy speaks TRUTH about the travails of modern dating with sass and heart. THE GOOD ONES ARE TAKEN is a steamy (*fans self*) reminder that the best man for you is sometimes right there all along, the one who sees you and knows you the best. I was cheering for Garrett to make his case to Maggie to be "the one" in this swoony friends-to-lovers modern romance. Could not get enough!" -Susan Lee, author of Seoulmates and The Name Drop

"THE GOOD ONES ARE TAKEN is a sizzling friends-to-lovers romance that's as grown and sexy as it is tender and sweet. Taj McCoy has once again crafted a deep connection between characters who are so vibrant, vulnerable, and unapologetically real, that you can't help but cheer them on toward finding a love that's well worth the wait. Just like the delicious dishes peppered throughout the pages... you'll want to eat this one up! -Myah Ariel, author of When I Think of You (Berkley, '24)

"Sexy, Swoon-worthy, and hilarious. THE GOOD ONES ARE TAKEN has a charming heroine with an unforgettable voice and a love triangle that had me turning pages well into the night." -Riss M. Neilson, author of A Love Like the Sun