Yes, they are pricey, probably because they're so uncommon. The reason I never had a "ladies" bike was because, at 5'-8" from age 14 on, I'm too tall for them - most step-through frames are small.
The o.p. doesn't describe her Kona Dew in detail, what size it is, what sort of handlebars. If, like most tall women, her height is mostly in her legs, she might possibly have gotten one for stand-over clearance and the top tube and stem are far too long. A shorter stem might be a perfectly good and far cheaper solution. Perhaps a fitting session at a really good bike shop is in order.
But, hey, I'm an enabler So, I'm going to throw out another possibility, the Dutch utility bike. The Dutch are statistically the tallest people on Earth, so a womens frame made by them will probably come in tall sizes:
http://www.gazellebicycles.us/