The Mistake (Earth Girls Aren’t Easy) is a short novel by Leigh Royal detailing the humdrum lives of scientifically minded Harriet and drifting-through-life Ace. Harriet is a researcher working at a lab and Ace is a sales clerk at an (as he defines it) “adult entertainment” store. Harriet’s car breaks down outside Ace’s shop, she goes in to make a phone call, and then the power goes out. After that, both are sucked up by a blue light. Cue alien abduction, but this one accidentally sucked them up.
You see, the aliens on this planet want companionship with Earthlings, but they prefer much older Earth residents. These out-of-this-world beings partner with older prostitutes. Unfortunately, sending Ace and Harriet back isn’t simple, and first they must accomplish a few tasks for the aliens.
Harriet and Ace traverse this new planet from the surrounding countryside to a single room in a castle. I won’t mention the adventures that the two Earth people have, but as you may have surmised by now, their escapades are humorous. All the while, the uptight Harriet and the too-cool-for-his hair Ace start to warm up to each other. I’ll leave the rest to your imagination.
While not my usual read, I picked up The Mistake to try something completely different, hoping it would do the trick. It did. I enjoyed meeting and getting to know Ace and Harriet. Both come into their own as they experience this new planet together. While most of the episodes are predictable, the writing and setting carry the narrative along at a happy pace.
The characters are honestly developed. Harriet speaks and acts like a researcher. I thought the legitimacy of her describing her job was a nice surprise. Ace’s background was also a departure from the norm. The two develop at a reasonable pace without anything happening too soon or too late in the novel.
While this story is about aliens and a different planet, it’s much more a romance than a science fiction novel. This should be obvious to the reader going in, and everything described seems to point in this direction. Multiple alien species exist on the planet Harriet and Ace are whisked to. An alien race a bit less human as the love interests to the main characters would’ve made an interesting twist on the narrative. However, this may have come across as unrealistic.
Overall, I enjoyed this story quite a bit. The novel is told well and I became invested in the characters quickly. The Mistake (Earth Girls Aren’t Easy) is sprinkled with humorous writing and likable characters, and those elements contribute greatly to its charm.