Women's Fiction Feature Review: Higher Love by Joanne Kukanza Easley

Today, I have a dramatic women's fiction novel to share in our book review spotlight. If you enjoy a complex family drama, Higher Love should be on your summer reading list! Learn about Higher Love and author Joanne Kukanza Easley, read my thoughts on the book, and be sure to enter for a chance to win a prize in the book tour giveaway at the end of this post.

Book Title:  HIGHER LOVE by Joanne Kukanza Easley
Category:  Adult Fiction (18+), 360 pages
Genre:  Women's Literary Fiction
Publisher:  Red Boots Press
Release date:   May 2025
Content Rating:  PG-13 + M: Adult themes of alcoholism, underage drinking, underage sex

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About the Book

 

In 1986 Austin, Texas, sixteen-year-old Stephanie steps into sixty-two-year-old Lauren’s life, her uncanny resemblance cracking open a buried past. Claiming to be the daughter of the child Lauren gave up for adoption forty-five years ago, Stephanie upends Lauren’s life—already complicated by her remarriage to Brett after thirty-three years apart. Stung by her adoptive grandmother’s deception, Stephanie stays, her past of tragedy and self-harm forging a fragile bond with Lauren and Brett. When Stephanie’s trust fund evaporates, crushing her college dreams, Lauren sacrifices all to give her a future—only to face a bittersweet twist that echoes the past and changes everything. This heart-wrenching family drama delves into the enduring impact of secrets, the power of unconditional love, and the strength found in facing our pasts.

 

My Review

 

Higher Love Brings a Well-Done Family Drama to Readers. The basis of the novel is not necessarily unique, but the way the author allows her characters to come to terms with the traumas of the past will keep readers engaged from beginning to end. With the chapters bringing views from Stephanie and Lauren, readers gain insights into the lives and experiences that the main characters bring to the novel. The emotions are complex, but the storyline feels believable, and the characters feel real and relatable.

Expect a Character-Driven Story. While there are some plot twists moving the story along, most of the novel focuses on the emotional journeys of the characters, both past and present. The characters are realistic, the emotions are very human and real--and the characters' raw, honest presentations shed light on the significance of family, forgiveness and healing. 

 Would I Recommend Higher Love by Joanne Kukanza Easley? I am not always a fan of women's fiction, but the intense complexity of this novel was thought-provoking, emotional and interesting. There are adult themes presented in the book, but this is a novel that older teens/young adults (as well as older readers) will find relatable and interesting. I enjoyed the author's writing style and the clear understanding of human nature and the long-lasting impacts of generational trauma that were presented throughout the novel. I would recommend it to fans of complex family dramas and heavier women's fiction.

  

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Meet the Author 

​Joanne Kukanza Easley, a retired registered nurse who worked in the cold, stark environment of operating rooms and the highly charged setting of psychiatric facilities, now resides in the Texas Hill Country. There, she crafts fiction centered on complex women of the twentieth century. Her debut novel, Sweet Jane, garnered multiple accolades, including the adult fiction prize at the Texas Author Project, and was a finalist for prestigious honors like the Sarton Award and the Eric Hoffer Award, among others. Her second book, Just One Look, was selected as a May 2022 Pulpwood Queen Book Club Pick. Her third novel, I’ll Be Seeing You, revisits characters from Sweet Jane. Her fourth novel, Higher Love, a continuation of her third, is slated for release in Spring 2025. Easley’s award-winning short stories and poetry have been featured in various anthologies.

connect with the author:  website ~ X ~ facebook ~ instagram ~ goodreads

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Enter the Giveaway 

HIGHER LOVE by Joanne Kukanza Easley Book Tour Giveaway