Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for granting me free access to the advanced digital copy of this book.

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.

This is cute! While the romance isn't well-structured, the relationships between Maggie and her friends are--I loved reading their banter and seeing them support one another. The descriptions of food are also delectable and nuanced (unlike the romance...okay, I'll stop).

Yak has done it again in showing that thick girls need love too. I enjoyed seeing another friend out of the crew and also seeing what previous main characters were up to. Enjoyed it

Taj McCoy never disappoints! Her latest book offers a great story, laughs, and relaxation. Set in the same world as 'Savvy Sheldon Feels Good as Hell,' we see Savvy and Spencer again (they're getting married!). The simple plot lets characters like Maggie and Garrett shine. It's clear from the start who she'll end up with, but that's perfect! Garrett always knew what Maggie needed, unlike Blake. Their friendship-turned-romance is heartwarming, especially with their shared love for food. Maggie and Garrett are nearly 40 and thriving in their careers. If you love stories about friends-to-lovers, this is a must-read. Can't wait for Taj McCoy's next book!

I wanted to love this book and there were points during the reading process where I felt like the story had some potential, but overall it just did not work for me. The main character in this story is navigating a breakup, so her friends coerce her into getting on the apps to find a date for two upcoming destination weddings.

What I thought would have made this work for me was the fact that there was some clear chemistry between the main character and her male best friend, and I am a sucker for the friends-to-lovers trope BUT this was just -- not done right...

The main character is extremely unlikeable and it made it hard for me to connect to her or her story. A lot of the plot progression was centred around the dialogue between her and her friends and I just felt like she was not a good friend at all. She constantly compared herself to them and would complain whenever she wasn't the centre of attention in the group. Mind you, two of these friends were planning their weddings and she still needed to be the centre of attention and even explicitly states this on several occasions throughout the novel.

We are introduced to one potential suitor at around the midway point of the book; a man who checks all of the boxes and goes out of his way to even hire a private chef for one of their dates. The main character spends the entire date mentally trashing this man's efforts and everything he tried to do for her, and it was really at this point where I just knew this book was not my cup of tea.

The auth0r spent a lot of time over-describing things unnecessarily. The main character is a foodie, which is the only thing we know about her personality (apart from her being competitive). The author bogs us down with the details of every single dish that she eats and it eventually starts to feel like we are being hammered across the head with the fact that she loves food -- I honestly got it after the first five references to her appreciation for food and her mentioning that she is "always being hungry".

Her best friend as a love interest also felt very shallow to me. He was not a fleshed out character either, and it felt like he just existed to pander to her needs.

Major spoiler ahead:

He ends up proposing to her at her friends' weddings and that's when I decided I was fully over this story. Who does that???

This book is a certified rom-com that displays an authentic friends to lovers story to the T. The leads have genuine character growth both as a couple and individually. You almost forget that it's a follow up to the previous book as it's stands strong on it's own story.

The Good Ones Are Taken by Taj McCoy is a heartwarming tale that beautifully captures the essence of a friends-to-lovers romance. The story revolves around 38-year-old Maggie, a woman who has always had her share of difficulties with love. As the maid of honor for her friends’ weddings, Maggie is the quintessential matchmaker, constantly setting her friends up while facing little luck in her own romantic endeavors.

Maggie’s most recent breakup has left her devastated, having believed it would lead to marriage. Faced with the challenge of bringing a date to her friends’ joint wedding in Thailand, she turns to the world of dating apps. Her best friend of 20 years, Garrett, steps in to ensure her safety, strategically placing himself at her dates. Garrett, who has secretly loved Maggie for years, doesn’t believe anyone is good enough for her.

Maggie unexpectedly connects with Blake, a heart surgeon who seems perfect in every way. Handsome, wealthy, and generous, Blake ticks all the boxes. Yet, Maggie finds herself hesitant, torn between the seemingly ideal Blake and the unwavering support and secret love of Garrett.

This thoughtful and sentimental story had my heart swelling with sweetness. The way Garrett has shown his love throughout their two-decade-long friendship reaches a crescendo as Maggie decides to give both men a fair chance, leading to a poignant and heartfelt climax.

The dynamics between Maggie and her friends felt incredibly relatable, mirroring the dialogues I have with my own friends. While the first quarter of the book starts slowly, it’s worth persevering as the story blossoms into a captivating and tender love story.

The Good Ones Are Taken is an incredible tale of love, friendship, and the often complicated journey of finding the one. Taj McCoy has crafted a beautiful narrative that will leave readers both satisfied and touched by the genuine emotions portrayed.