The Good Ones Are Taken Summary: A Spicy Friends-to-Lovers Romance
TL;DR: Quick Briefing
Two destination weddings in Thailand.
One newly single tax attorney.
One best friend who has been quietly in love with her for nearly two decades.
That is the setup of The Good Ones Are Taken by Taj McCoy.
Thirty-seven-year-old Magnolia “Maggie” Jones is a Los Angeles tax attorney whose friends push her onto a dating app after a sudden breakup.
As she works through a series of disastrous dates, her long-time college friend Garrett Bailey stays close by her side.
The book follows their friendship, the men Maggie meets, and the distance between what she says she wants and what she already has.
- Central character: Maggie Jones, a thirty-seven-year-old tax attorney chasing partnership and a wedding date.
- Central relationship: Her nineteen-year friendship with sports journalist Garrett Bailey, who has hidden his feelings since college.
- Main tension: Maggie dates a wealthy heart surgeon who looks right on paper while her bond with Garrett becomes impossible to ignore.
- Structure: Twenty-seven chapters, moving from app misadventures in Southern California to a dual wedding in Phuket.
- Key themes: Risking a friendship for love, modern app dating versus organic connection, chosen family, and career ambition.
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Characters in This Book
| Character | Role |
|---|---|
| Magnolia “Maggie” Jones | Protagonist; a thirty-seven-year-old tax attorney in Santa Monica working toward partnership at her firm. |
| Garrett Bailey | Maggie’s best friend from Georgetown; a sports journalist and aspiring ESPN broadcaster. |
| Savvy Sheldon | Maggie’s close friend; a cookbook author engaged to Spencer. |
| Joan “Kotter” Kotter | Maggie’s close friend; a retired police officer’s daughter engaged to Beth. |
| Beth | Joanie’s fiancée; a tennis coach and personal trainer who introduced Maggie to Rob. |
| Spencer | Savvy’s fiancé. |
| Dr. Blake Hamilton | A surgeon Maggie meets at her gym; he lives on the Strand in Manhattan Beach. |
| Geoffrey Jones | Maggie’s father; a retired Navy veteran and high school English teacher. |
| Miss Courtney | Geoffrey’s partner. |
| Josephine “Miss Josephine” Jones | Maggie’s late mother. |
| Penny | Maggie’s Himalayan cat. |
| Rob | Maggie’s ex-boyfriend, who ends their relationship on their anniversary. |
| Ian | Maggie’s first app date. |
| Terrance | Maggie’s second app date; an accountant. |
| Chad | An app date who double-books two women at one table. |
| Kenny | Garrett’s childhood friend, broker, and aspiring writer. |
| Stewart | Managing partner at Maggie’s firm who recommends her for partnership. |
| Terry | Receptionist at Maggie’s law firm. |
| Mama June (June Sheldon) | Savvy’s mother and a second mother figure to Maggie. |
| Janet Bailey | Garrett’s mother in Atlanta. |
The Good Ones Are Taken Summary: Full Story
Spoiler warning: this section describes the plot and ending of the book.
Magnolia “Maggie” Jones is a thirty-seven-year-old tax attorney in Santa Monica grinding through tax season for a shot at partnership. Her boyfriend Rob ends their one-year relationship on their anniversary to pursue a professional tennis player.
Her friends Savvy, Joanie, and Beth build an online dating profile for her and set a deadline. Maggie must find a travel date for two destination weddings in Thailand, where Savvy is marrying Spencer and Joanie is marrying Beth.
Maggie leans on Garrett Bailey, her best friend since Georgetown and a sports journalist. They share a standing Saturday ritual of takeout, wine, and movies, and he agrees to screen her matches and watch from the bar during her dates.
Her first app dates fail badly. Ian wears sunglasses indoors and insults her when she declines him, Terrance makes unwanted advances until Garrett stages a fake proposal, and Chad double-books two women and leaves Maggie with the bill.
She then meets heart surgeon Blake Hamilton at her gym when he asks her to spot him on the bench press. He takes her to a private-chef Mediterranean dinner, surprises her with hot chocolate at sunset, and brings her to a Marsha Ambrosius concert in a VIP balcony.
The mismatch shows in small ways. Blake’s portion-controlled meals leave her hungry, their conversation lacks banter, and their first night together is brief and emotionally distant.
Garrett reacts with open tension when Blake invites Maggie to Palm Springs. The two argue, and Garrett leaves her apartment frustrated.
In Palm Springs, Maggie cannot settle into the luxury suite and cannot stop thinking about Garrett. She cancels her spa appointments, tells Blake a friend has an emergency, and drives back to Los Angeles.
She asks Garrett directly whether he has romantic feelings for her. He tells her he has loved her since they first kissed in college almost twenty years earlier, and that every woman he dated was a placeholder.
Maggie agrees to one real date. They go to A.O.C., laugh until they spray their drinks, and later spend the night together.
The complication is that Maggie never formally ended things with Blake. After a beach walk, Blake tries to press his way into her building, Garrett confronts him, and Blake punches Garrett in the face.
Maggie throws both men out and asks for space. She seeks advice from her father Geoffrey, Savvy’s mother Mama June, and Garrett’s mother Janet.
Mama June reveals that Garrett once turned down a job in New York to move to Los Angeles and stay near Maggie. Maggie ends things with Blake, who accepts that he cannot compete with a twenty-year bond.
She rushes to the ESPN studio while Garrett is recording a segment. There she tells him she loves him, hands him his ticket to Thailand, and commits to the relationship.
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After Tax Day, Maggie brings in major new business and earns a recommendation for partner. Garrett moves into her Santa Monica condo, and the two settle into life together.
The group travels to Phuket, where Maggie arranges a yacht excursion to Phi Phi Island for the joint bachelor and bachelorette party. Savvy and Spencer and Joanie and Beth exchange vows in a beachside ceremony officiated by Max, followed by a lantern release.
At the reception, Garrett kneels on the dance floor with the exact ring Maggie once admired in a jewelry store window during law school. A tearful Maggie says yes.
Summary by Chapter
Spoiler warning: the following section describes each chapter.
The Good Ones Are Taken contains 27 numbered chapters followed by an Acknowledgments section.
Chapter 1: Maggie unwinds at a bar after a taxing day at work and turns down a newly separated stranger’s advances. She returns to her Santa Monica condo, feeds her cat Penny, takes a bubble bath, and eats popcorn while watching the finale of Living Single.
Chapter 2: Maggie tells Savvy, Joanie, and Beth that Rob dumped her on their anniversary. Her friends create an online dating profile for her and insist she find a date for the Thailand weddings. She texts Garrett to confirm their Saturday movie night.
Chapter 3: Garrett arrives with wine and ice cream, and they eat Savvy’s gourmet leftovers while watching Pride and Prejudice. They review Maggie’s new profile together, swipe left on unsuitable matches, and Garrett promises to help her filter candidates.
Chapter 4: Maggie’s first app date at Sip wine bar goes wrong when Ian wears aviators indoors, brags about four children with four mothers, and insults her. Garrett and restaurant owner Joseph step in to escort her out, and she and Garrett eat Peruvian chicken afterward.
Chapter 5: At a combined Valentine’s and birthday dinner, Maggie feels isolated among the paired-up couples. Garrett joins them and offers to be her date if she finds no one, while the group teases them about their chemistry.
Chapter 6: Maggie and Garrett swipe through more absurd profiles while discussing ethical non-monogamy and bathroom selfies. Her date with Terrance goes badly enough that Garrett performs a fake proposal to rescue her, and they celebrate over Chinese takeout and lemon berry cake.
Chapter 7: At bridesmaid dress fittings, Maggie complains about a scratchy blue dress before Savvy reveals a formfitting fuchsia gown. Her friends tell her both ceremonies will take place in Thailand and urge her to stop self-sabotaging her dating life.
Chapter 8: Garrett cooks Bolognese for Maggie while they review profiles and talk about relationship standards. At the gym, Maggie meets Blake, who asks her to spot him on the bench press, and they exchange numbers over a protein breakfast.
Chapter 9: Maggie calls Savvy to report meeting Blake. That evening she and Blake walk the Strand in Manhattan Beach, where he admits a mild fear of flying and surprises her with hot chocolate from a thermos before asking her out for Friday.
Chapter 10: Garrett brings pastrami sandwiches to Maggie’s office during tax season, and he reacts with subtle jealousy when she mentions her Friday date. Savvy later helps Maggie assemble a date outfit of a red dress and leather boots.
Chapter 11: Blake takes Maggie to an Italian restaurant where the chef prepares a multi-course tasting menu for them. An emergency surgery call cuts the night short, and Maggie goes home to talk Garrett through his writer’s block before scheduling a date with Chad.
Chapter 12: Maggie helps Garrett practice his broadcasting delivery and tells him about Chad, who double-booked two dates at one table and left her with the bill. Garrett brings Ethiopian food over and asks whether things will change between them if she gets serious with Blake.
Chapter 13: Blake hosts Maggie at his beachfront house on the Strand with a private chef, but the tiny salad portions leave her hungry. He hesitates to kiss her because of raw onions, so she leaves early and stops at In-N-Out.
Chapter 14: Blake takes Maggie to a Marsha Ambrosius concert at The Novo, where she dances all night in the VIP balcony. They sleep together for the first time at her apartment, but the encounter is brief and he falls asleep immediately, and the next morning he reveals he is allergic to cats.
Chapter 15: Maggie cancels her usual Saturday with Garrett to spend the weekend in Palm Springs with Blake. Garrett brings Cajun wings and news of a TIME magazine feature, but the evening ends in an argument about how fast she is moving with Blake.
Chapter 16: On the drive to Palm Springs, Savvy and Joanie suggest that Garrett’s protectiveness comes from romantic feelings. Maggie arrives at the luxury suite but cannot relax, cancels her spa appointments, lies to Blake about a friend’s emergency, and drives back to Los Angeles.
Chapter 17: Maggie asks Garrett to meet her at her condo and directly asks if he is in love with her. He confesses years of hidden feelings and asks for one real date, and the next evening he arrives with peonies and takes her to A.O.C.
Chapter 18: After the date, Maggie and Garrett finally act on their attraction and spend the night together. The next morning Blake calls to plan another outing, and Garrett says he does not want to share her.
Chapter 19: Maggie holds an emergency brunch with Savvy, Joanie, and Beth, who encourage her to choose Garrett. She agrees to one more date with each man before deciding, though Garrett states he will not share her.
Chapter 20: Garrett takes Maggie pool shooting and to The Boiling Crab, where they reminisce about meeting at Georgetown. They spend a passionate night together, and the next day Maggie secures eight new start-up clients and a partner recommendation.
Chapter 21: Maggie visits her father Geoffrey in San Diego, and he confirms Garrett has loved her since college and gives his blessing. Later, Blake walks her home from the Promenade and tries to force his way inside, leading Garrett to confront him and Blake to punch Garrett.
Chapter 22: Garrett appears at the friends’ brunch to apologize and declares his love in front of everyone, and an overwhelmed Maggie asks for time. On a group Zoom call, Savvy announces she is pregnant.
Chapter 23: Mama June advises Maggie not to let fear cost her a twenty-year bond and reveals that Garrett once turned down a New York job to stay near her. Garrett later visits her office to practice his broadcast script and offers to step aside if she chooses Blake.
Chapter 24: Maggie walks the beach in Manhattan Beach and visits Blake to end things, and he accepts that he cannot compete with a twenty-year bond. Seeing Garrett on an ESPN broadcast looking miserable, she decides to act immediately.
Chapter 25: With help from Kenny, Maggie surprises Garrett at the ESPN studio after his segment. She tells him she loves him, gives him plane tickets to Thailand, and says she wants to be with him, and he embraces her.
Chapter 26: After Tax Day, Maggie and Garrett celebrate with Hawaiian takeout at her condo. She asks him to move in, he agrees, and they mark the change in their relationship.
Chapter 27: The group travels to Thailand, where Maggie arranges a yacht excursion to Phi Phi Island for the joint bachelor and bachelorette party. Savvy and Spencer and Joanie and Beth marry in a beachside ceremony with a lantern release, and Garrett proposes to Maggie on the dance floor with the ring she admired during law school.
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Quotes from The Good Ones Are Taken
“To anyone searching for love—you are deserving, you are enough.”
“You’re my best friend, right? So, understand that there’s no bad intention here—I’m just protective. That’s all.”
“Don’t let those automatic thoughts cancel out your opportunity for happiness…”
“I don’t care if you are shoving down pastrami fries with extra onions, I don’t care if you’re slurping on Orange Bang, I don’t care. I don’t care if we’re throwing up in the same toilet because we’re hungover. I just know that I need to be near you.”
“Nineteen-plus years, Maggie. I have waited over nineteen years for you to tell me that you love me love me…”
“Magnolia Felize Jones, I have loved you every day since I met you and I will love you until my final breath. Would you do me the honor of being my wife?”
“Besides, all the good ones are taken anyway.”
Who Should Read The Good Ones Are Taken?
The book suits readers of contemporary romance and romantic comedy, particularly those drawn to the friends-to-lovers trope and to stories set in Black professional communities.
Readers who enjoy dating-app misadventure subplots, food-centered scenes, and strong female friend groups will find those elements throughout.
The story also carries a second-chance and love-triangle structure, with Maggie weighing a polished new partner against a long-standing friendship.
The pacing is fast and episodic, alternating comedic dating scenes with emotional conversations.
Chapters are short, and the narrative moves between Los Angeles locations and a tropical wedding setting.
Readers looking for a slow-burn arc that resolves in an engagement will find that structure here.
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Book Snapshot
- Genre & Subgenre: Contemporary Romance / Romantic Comedy / Black Romance
- Core Narrative Tropes: Friends-to-Lovers, Dating App Misadventures, Love Triangle, Dual Destination Wedding
- Tone & Atmosphere: Witty, warm, humorous, foodie-centric, emotionally intimate
- Primary Conflict: Maggie’s choice between the safety of a nineteen-year friendship and a romantic risk, alongside her pursuit of law firm partnership
- Pacing Style: Fast-paced and episodic, building toward a resolution in Thailand
- Book Structure: 27 numbered chapters plus an Acknowledgments section
- Publisher: MIRA, April 23, 2024
- Print Length: 304 pages
- ISBN-10: 0778305422
- ISBN-13: 978-0778305422
- Author Background: Taj McCoy is a contemporary romance author whose connected standalone novels center on Black women, friendship circles, food, and second chances.
