The Good Ones Are Taken

A lopsided love triangle animates this disappointing rom-com from McCoy (Zora Books Her Happily Ever After). 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. But Maggie’s a foodie (indeed, much of the novel is focused on her exploration of different cuisines) and health-conscious Blake frets over her eating, striking a blow to her confidence. When, inevitably, Garrett professes his love, Maggie’s world spins out of control. She must decide between new romance with Blake or taking a chance on Garrett without hurting either man. The result is a sweet yet predictable friends-to-lovers romance that doesn’t reach the same heights as McCoy’s previous offerings. This is for diehard fans only. Agent: Jamiscoe Chambers-Black, Andrea Brown Literary. (Mar.)