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A Good Year For Bad Decisions: MAY
A smart, funny, emotionally honest story about ambition, identity, and the uncomfortable difference between choosing your life and choosing your work.
By May, Erin has a decision to make.
The opportunity that appeared in April is still on the table, quietly waiting. At BalanceWay, the numbers are strong and Erin has become the go-to person for everyone on the team. The work -life is fast, and dangerously satisfying.
For the first time in years, she feels powerful.
The rest of her life is… less certain.
Nick is kind, steady, and very much rooted in the life he’s already built, filled with school events, shared custody, and a daughter who deserves stability. Erin fits in that life. Mostly. On good days it even feels easy.
But easy and right are not always the same thing.
As the weeks move forward and the decision she’s been postponing refuses to disappear, Erin finds herself circling a question she’s spent years
When you say you’re choosing yourself… are you actually choosing your life?
Or just the part of it where you’re winning?
Wry, intimate, and quietly devastating, May is a story about ambition, self-honesty, and realizing that sometimes the hardest choice isn’t between two people—it’s between the person you want to be and the life that’s already waiting for you.
By May, Erin has a decision to make.
The opportunity that appeared in April is still on the table, quietly waiting. At BalanceWay, the numbers are strong and Erin has become the go-to person for everyone on the team. The work -life is fast, and dangerously satisfying.
For the first time in years, she feels powerful.
The rest of her life is… less certain.
Nick is kind, steady, and very much rooted in the life he’s already built, filled with school events, shared custody, and a daughter who deserves stability. Erin fits in that life. Mostly. On good days it even feels easy.
But easy and right are not always the same thing.
As the weeks move forward and the decision she’s been postponing refuses to disappear, Erin finds herself circling a question she’s spent years
When you say you’re choosing yourself… are you actually choosing your life?
Or just the part of it where you’re winning?
Wry, intimate, and quietly devastating, May is a story about ambition, self-honesty, and realizing that sometimes the hardest choice isn’t between two people—it’s between the person you want to be and the life that’s already waiting for you.
180 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 26, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
May 29, 2026
A Good Year for Bad Decisions: MAY by Tess Marlowe (2026)
A Good Year for Bad Decisions #5
180-page Kindle Ebook story pages 5-178
Genre: Contemporary Women's Fiction
Rating as a movie: R for adult content
Featuring: Titled Chapters, 2025, Divorcée, Chicago, Illinois; Quadragenarian, Crossroads Trope, Costa Rica, Avoidance Tactics, Found Family, Friendships, Human Resource Specialist, Divorcé, Single Father, Starting Over, Sex - Off-Camera, Self-Actualization, Self-Reflection, Generation Gap, Gen-Z, Corporate Setting, Work From Home, Coworkers, Office Politics, Mothering, Rumination, Author's Note, Author's Link,
My rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🇨🇷🛬🍸🦈
My thoughts: Every time I think Erin can't top the previous book, somehow she does. Of course, we start with her being in a great place from the last book, and frustrated with an opportunity, and then she starts making these bad decisions, which I had to remind myself on page 24 is literally the title of the series. She was starting to get on my nerves, but nevertheless, she continues to grow as a character in a very genuine way. My only disappointment with this book is I did not get a preview of July's book cover. So I'm guessing I'm going to have to wait until June to see the cover. Also, June's book doesn't come out until the end of the month—another bummer. I might have time to read another Tess Marlowe series in the meantime, like the one that features that German Shepherd on the cover.
Recommend to others: Absolutely! This novella series is becoming one of the highlights of my reading journey this year. I'm excited to see where Erin ends up in December.
A Good Year for Bad Decisions
1. A Good Year for Bad Decisions: JANUARY (2025)
2. A Good Year for Bad Decisions: FEBRUARY (2026)
3. A Good Year for Bad Decisions: MARCH (2026)
4. A Good Year for Bad Decisions: APRIL (2026)
5. A Good Year for Bad Decisions: MAY (2026)
6. A Good Year for Bad Decisions: JUNE (2026)
Memorable Quotes: My chopstick stopped mid-air. “We discussed this. There is a strict, non-negotiable embargo on buckets of pond water crossing the threshold of the rental.” Nick laughed, leaning against the counter. The corners of his eyes crinkled in that easy, unbothered way I loved. “I told her that. I explained that Erin has a zero-tolerance policy for wildlife in the kitchen. She counter-offered.” “She is six. She doesn’t have the leverage to counter-offer.” “She proposed keeping the bucket on the porch,” Nick continued, thoroughly amused. “She said it counts as ‘the outside,’ which respects your zoning laws, but it’s covered, which protects the frogs from aerial predators. It’s a solid compromise.” “The porch is a demilitarized zone,” I said, digging a piece of chicken out of the noodles. “We will negotiate the exact perimeter when we get there.” The domesticity of the exchange settled over me like a heavy, warm blanket. It was just easy. The banter required no posturing, no heavy lifting, and absolutely no strategy. Moving to the couch with our plates felt like stepping into a well-insulated sanctuary. We queued up a terrible action movie. It was one of those aggressively loud, high-budget streaming exclusives featuring a rogue intelligence agent who fundamentally disrespected the basic laws of physics. For the next hour, my only required task was eating noodles and pointing out the plot holes. “That’s a load-bearing pillar,” I noted, gesturing at the screen as an SUV crashed through a concrete column in a subterranean garage. “The entire ceiling should have collapsed. You cannot remove the primary support structure of a commercial building and just drive away.” Nick swallowed a bite of food, his shoulder pressed comfortably against mine. “He’s a highly trained assassin. He probably calculated the weight distribution before he hit the gas.” “He is a liability. Who is paying for all these exploded sedans? The sheer volume of paperwork generated by this single car chase would bankrupt his agency.” “You’re really taking the side of the faceless bureaucratic villain right now?” “I am taking the side of the administrative assistant who has to process the collateral damage.”
A Good Year for Bad Decisions #5
180-page Kindle Ebook story pages 5-178
Genre: Contemporary Women's Fiction
Rating as a movie: R for adult content
Featuring: Titled Chapters, 2025, Divorcée, Chicago, Illinois; Quadragenarian, Crossroads Trope, Costa Rica, Avoidance Tactics, Found Family, Friendships, Human Resource Specialist, Divorcé, Single Father, Starting Over, Sex - Off-Camera, Self-Actualization, Self-Reflection, Generation Gap, Gen-Z, Corporate Setting, Work From Home, Coworkers, Office Politics, Mothering, Rumination, Author's Note, Author's Link,
My rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🇨🇷🛬🍸🦈
My thoughts: Every time I think Erin can't top the previous book, somehow she does. Of course, we start with her being in a great place from the last book, and frustrated with an opportunity, and then she starts making these bad decisions, which I had to remind myself on page 24 is literally the title of the series. She was starting to get on my nerves, but nevertheless, she continues to grow as a character in a very genuine way. My only disappointment with this book is I did not get a preview of July's book cover. So I'm guessing I'm going to have to wait until June to see the cover. Also, June's book doesn't come out until the end of the month—another bummer. I might have time to read another Tess Marlowe series in the meantime, like the one that features that German Shepherd on the cover.
Recommend to others: Absolutely! This novella series is becoming one of the highlights of my reading journey this year. I'm excited to see where Erin ends up in December.
A Good Year for Bad Decisions
1. A Good Year for Bad Decisions: JANUARY (2025)
2. A Good Year for Bad Decisions: FEBRUARY (2026)
3. A Good Year for Bad Decisions: MARCH (2026)
4. A Good Year for Bad Decisions: APRIL (2026)
5. A Good Year for Bad Decisions: MAY (2026)
6. A Good Year for Bad Decisions: JUNE (2026)
Memorable Quotes: My chopstick stopped mid-air. “We discussed this. There is a strict, non-negotiable embargo on buckets of pond water crossing the threshold of the rental.” Nick laughed, leaning against the counter. The corners of his eyes crinkled in that easy, unbothered way I loved. “I told her that. I explained that Erin has a zero-tolerance policy for wildlife in the kitchen. She counter-offered.” “She is six. She doesn’t have the leverage to counter-offer.” “She proposed keeping the bucket on the porch,” Nick continued, thoroughly amused. “She said it counts as ‘the outside,’ which respects your zoning laws, but it’s covered, which protects the frogs from aerial predators. It’s a solid compromise.” “The porch is a demilitarized zone,” I said, digging a piece of chicken out of the noodles. “We will negotiate the exact perimeter when we get there.” The domesticity of the exchange settled over me like a heavy, warm blanket. It was just easy. The banter required no posturing, no heavy lifting, and absolutely no strategy. Moving to the couch with our plates felt like stepping into a well-insulated sanctuary. We queued up a terrible action movie. It was one of those aggressively loud, high-budget streaming exclusives featuring a rogue intelligence agent who fundamentally disrespected the basic laws of physics. For the next hour, my only required task was eating noodles and pointing out the plot holes. “That’s a load-bearing pillar,” I noted, gesturing at the screen as an SUV crashed through a concrete column in a subterranean garage. “The entire ceiling should have collapsed. You cannot remove the primary support structure of a commercial building and just drive away.” Nick swallowed a bite of food, his shoulder pressed comfortably against mine. “He’s a highly trained assassin. He probably calculated the weight distribution before he hit the gas.” “He is a liability. Who is paying for all these exploded sedans? The sheer volume of paperwork generated by this single car chase would bankrupt his agency.” “You’re really taking the side of the faceless bureaucratic villain right now?” “I am taking the side of the administrative assistant who has to process the collateral damage.”
May 29, 2026
Wow
This months boom hit an emotional chord. Happy for Erin but sad. Glad she makes decisions for her as much as they hurt. Excited for June.
This months boom hit an emotional chord. Happy for Erin but sad. Glad she makes decisions for her as much as they hurt. Excited for June.
May 29, 2026
My fear came true. Erin and Nick broke up. I am looking forward to what Costa Rica has in store for her in June.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 1, 2026
I absolutely love this series!
June 9, 2026
This was the first one that was a little sad. Would love to see this become a limited series on some streaming service
July 7, 2026
4⭐️ | 📖 | 🌶️ | WOW. Erin really went on an emotional journey in May. She was already “starting over” at the beginning of this series, but it got REAL this month. Talk about getting out of your comfort zone…
May 30, 2026
Geez. Here I was hoping things were gonna look up and bam they took a different turn. I’m interested to see if Nick comes back but feels like Erin fell into something too safe too soon and this jump to Costa Rica is just what she needs to actually start over. We will see what month 6 has to bring!
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews