The Aloha Lawyer by Jeanilou Grace

A Women’s Fiction Novel published (11/15/25)

I received an Advanced Review Copy (or ARC) on Reedsy Discovery

This memoir-like book is an introspective exploration of identity, relationships, career path, motherhood, and personal growth. The main character, Santana, reflects on pivotal moments in her life, from young adulthood to middle age, examining her thoughts and feelings to understand herself, her choices, and her place in the world. She views her life through a lens that doesn’t always define facts and details but is based more on the thoughts and feelings she has for different parts of her life.

Keywords:

Fiction, Hawaii, Filipino, Identity, Romance, Lawyer, Family, Strong Female, Aloha, Motherhood

My Review:

The book reads more like a memoir than a fictional story in that it is a retelling of the past and the feelings associated with those building, pivotal moments, without strict setting details of place, time, etc. The writing is very introspective, almost a stream-of-consciousness narration, with life divided by how Santana feels about a period of time rather than by any one specific event or occasion. The book doesn’t have scenes and dialogue in the present like a fictional story might. Some of the phrasing is so on point, you have to read it three times for it to really sink in because the truth is so weighty.

For anyone questioning their identity, be they biracial or bicultural, or anyone wanting to empathize and understand, this is a thoughtfully written book. It contains a sense and a breakdown of identity at all life stages and life definitions: adulthood, motherhood, relationships, lawyer, ethnicity, and even feelings of otherness.

The law themes are powerful: law as protection, law as a canoe, law as healing. The author breaks down lawyer stereotypes within the aloha spirit, humanizing the lawyer experience. “They think that aloha means soft. But it also means strength, and we’re going to make sure they don’t ever forget it.”

The book imparts wisdom in small bites and pieces as mantras and lessons that Santana thinks about and learns over time. For example: Tiis lang means to endure with grace. Legacy isn’t what you build but who you become while creating a legacy.

Santana’s relationship arc hits hardest, showing the lessons that life teaches the hard way. She discovers that a healthy, loving partner is someone who listens and shows up without being asked, an active presence, not passive. The book explores what love really looks like and how to recognize it without running away. It felt like a philosophical study of what love is and how to embody it in a relationship with both positive and negative examples in Santana’s life. Her partner is kind, but he feels like a lowercase presence in her capital-letter life, believing that simply being near her is the same as showing up. He takes the last piece of sushi and never looks back. Some of these described partner crimes are so visual and gut-punching that they are like a bullet point list of what not to do in a loving relationship.

The book makes a powerful point: when one partner doesn’t put in effort unless prompted, it’s not a true partnership. It’s a tit-for-tat arrangement of two people together, but not fully in it together. Santana says it best when she asks for “support that moves” in a partner. It’s like the author is breaking down common phrases (like people need to grow together) into understandable examples using Santana’s fictional life.

The book overall resonates as a guide for every partner to understand that showing up means more than presence. It’s about solidarity, sacrifice, and consistently thinking of the other person, not only when it’s convenient.

While the pacing slows a bit in the middle, that doesn’t detract from the book’s wisdom and impact. This book is more fun to read than a typical couples therapy or self-help book, blending heartfelt, meaningful lessons with a compelling and intimate story.

This novel was published on 11/15/2025 and is available on Amazon here.

TL;DR Star Rating: 4.25

Links for more information

Goodreads