This book was cute from the title it was not what i expected but im glad i was able to read it i would recommend

First of all, this is a phenomenal book. Taj McCoy hasn’t authored and single book that I haven’t enjoyed! The Good Ones Are Taken is in alignment with the characterverse from Savvy Sheldon Feels Good As Hell. If you haven’t read that one, WHAT ARE YOU DOING WITH YOUR LIFE? This book centers Maggie, aka Magnolia. She is in a predicament. Her best friends have decided to have a joint wedding. While Mags is good with being the consummate auntie, pop bottles extraordinaire, and career maven, her love life isn’t quite up to par. Savvy pulls a gotcha. Maggie put her on a dating app when she was single, and well…that worked out. Nowww it’s time for Saav to return the favor. Her best friends have challenged her to have a date to their joint wedding. This book takes us through the journey of Maggie looking for love and going from looking to choosing. It’s funny how sometimes loves has been right there all along.

This book game me the feels. I loved it so much. The women felt like my friends. Garrett *swoon* ( he reminds me of my wonderful man). This is what I want when I say I want black romance. This gave me the feel good fuzzies. After reading this arc I am going to pick up more from Taj McCoy. I would recommend this book for romance lovers who like a friends to lovers situation.

This book was very slow to me. I wasn't really a fan of Maggie. She was kind of selfish and oblivious and I was just so frustrated with her character. I also feel like her choice should have been obvious but at the same time, I wasn't feeling it because there was no chemistry. Part of me feels like it's because Maggie was so insufferable.

I enjoyed this story, the plot was great. I found myself laughing throughout the book and that’s a plus. Taj McCoy knows how to write a good storyline.

This was a fun read. Relatively low stakes and the perfect amount of spice. I absolutely loved Garrett. He is definitely a keeper, however I really did not understand why Mags kept the other guy around as long as he was, I feel like while I guess it was semi necessary to the plot, it just seemed drawn out. Also I don't believe Mags ever official told him it was over. Like she just dropped him and he disappeared. Otherwise it was enjoyable.

Maggie is coming off a break up and both her besties are getting married in a destination wedding. They have encouraged her to finally get back out there and find a date for their double weddings. Meanwhile Maggie’s best friend Garret is there and ready to help her by tagging along for her dates. When she had a chance meeting with a surgeon things seem to be looking up but Garret has been on her mind more and more.

This book is decent but there are some things that rally bothered me. Maggie is a bit problematic. Although some of her hesitation is understandable, the idea that she can’t make a decision between a guy she finds boring and just met and her friend of nearly 20 years didn’t hold water to me. I think this book would have benefited from another POV. It was also a bit slow for me. Highlights of this book were definitely the friend group. Her friend were ride or die for here even when she made it a challenge and they kept it real when she was hiding from her own feelings. Loved the part of the book. Also Garret is a great MMC. I loved that he was in love with her for years but was there to support her through all their ups and downs. Overall, I am reluctantly giving this book 3 stars because I wanted to like it much more than I did.

I absolutely loved this book and that's coming from someone that has never really enjoyed the main tropes of this book. It was very well done and I was rooting for the MMC the whole time and basically screaming at the FMC to get it together and pick him!

Maggie has just went through a bad breakup and is trying to bounce back by finding dates on a dating app. Her best friend, Garrett, is helping by showing up and playing referee if something goes awry. Along the way, Maggie meets a heart surgeon at the gym and decides to pursue a romance with him. What she doesn't realize until multiple individuals point it out to her is that she may have had the answer to her romantic dilemma in her life already all along.

I really enjoyed as per usual McCoy's dialogue and different friendship that she wrote to add to the story. The spicy bits? Divine! And doesn't it just make sense that who Maggie really needed was her best friend all along?

Thank you so much for the ARC!

⭐️: 4.5/5
🌶️: 3.5
Format: 📱

PICK THIS ONE UP! I loved this, so much. While it was short, and it's true that there weren't a lot of complex plot points, the character development journey knocked this out of the park.

I strongly identified with Maggie. She's plus size, but her challenges aren't about overcoming her size--it's just a fact about her. And she's smart, but she's not perfect, and she just felt so real to me. And while friends-to-lovers isn't my favorite trope, McCoy just made the romance for them feel raw and realistic and true. It was such a visceral read for just 300 pages. It's a feel good romance that truly makes you feel, and I recommend you grab it right away.

This is a quick and fun read that I enjoyed. I laughed. I had to reread a few parts because I was caught off guard in a good way. 😉

If you enjoy romance, friends to lovers, laughing and having a good time reading a novel, then this is the book for you.

Favorite Quotes:
🩷 "You look at me like that, and I'd do just about anything."

🩷 "Yeah but alcohol makes you tell the truth, it doesn't make you lie and say ugly sh^^ on purpose. Like, you say that sh^^ cause you're already thinking that sh^^ and you no longer have the filter of to stop you,"

🩷 "Well, your intuition has always guided you in the right direction, and you have always made sound decisions because you don't make them on a whim. You think them through by giving yourself the time and the space to do so. So don't let anybody rush you. Take your time, talk it out if you have to, but you'll know what to do when the time is right."

🩷 "I don't question your ability to be in a lasting relationship, love. I question your desire to do so."

🩷 "You spoil me rotten, G. What man can compete with this level oftreatment?" "Only one who is worthy," he quipped, half of his mouth curving upward. "If they don't treat you like this, they're not worth considering. Most don't deserve you."

🩷 "Any guy in a relationship with me has to accept you too. We're a package deal."

I couldn't get through this book unfortunately. Garrett felt like such a manipulative bully from the go that I couldn't see a way in which it got better.

The writing style is not for me, so I won't be finishing it. The plot sounds interesting though, which is why I wanted to read it.

I read this book twice, eBook and then the audiobook. I loved it each time!

Maggie and Garrett have been best friends for years. They support each other, have weekly movie nights, and understand one another. When Garrett confesses has romantic feelings for Maggie, she freaks out. She is worried that she will loss her best friend if they break up. I loved reading about their friendship and seeing their relationship evolves. This was a prefect friends to lovers book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing, MIRA for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

I really wanted to love this book and the potential was there, but it ultimately fell flat for me.

From the start of the book, I never felt connected to the story or the characters. And I just think the writing style and pacing were not a good match for me.

this book was alright. just alright. I wasn't that impressed with her first novel either. i definitely think it is a great casual beach read so to speak.

This was my first time reading a Taj McCoy book and hunnyyyyyyyy she did NOT disappoint! So I feel like the dilemma Maggie was going through is veryyy relatable. She was just tired of all the dating she was ready to settle down and find her forever like her best friends. Now I’m not sure how she never realized Garrett, her best friend, was that person for her bc all the signs were there. I mean I get her never looking his way bc she didn’t want to ruin the friendship if anything happened butttttttttttttt if that man love you and you love him 🗣️STOP PLAYING! The writing was literally on the wall every time they were together 😂 then also everyone in her life mention this fact as well …it’s like how girl! Honestly this overall cute “finding my soulmate” romance and I’d highly recommend checking it out

Another DNF for me. I just couldn't get into the writing style and was turned off my the main character very early on. First time reading from this author, so not sure if I should give their other books a try, but this was just not for me.

Cute and fun. The FMC is frustrating at times and will def have you rolling your eyes on occasion, but who does not love a love triangle. This was cute but not super messy given the varying relationships.

I stepped out of my comfort zone with this book and was pleasantly surprised. This book had a good story that was relatable to today's world.

Maggie has been searching for her Mr. Right and with her friends getting married soon, she feels that pressure has been ramped up. Her guy friend of 19 years seems to be the perfect guy, but the friend zone has blinded Maggie to the idea of dating him and what could be for them. When all else has failed, Maggie's friends push her to sign up for a dating app to try to find her man. Will she be able to find Mr. Right on the app or will she realize he has been by her side for the past 19 years?

I am usually not a romance girl, but this was a fun and light read. I loved the food descriptions that Maggie and Garrett shared and I laughed right along with their antics. I also liked that Maggie was an older lady. It made it easier to relate to her struggle.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.