ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.

Adeline is desperate for a change. She loves her parents, but she feels held back and at 21 she knows just what she needs to do. First though, she needs a drink and maybe a man. Lockelan is not the man she pictured though and when the familiar man takes her to the magical world of Wren she thought only existed in stories her entire world changes. Destined to be married and to become the next Queen of Wren, Addie fights to find the key that will return her to real life where Wren is only a story made up by her father. Locke is charming in a broguish, intense kind of way though and soon she finds that she can't escape fate or her growing feelings.

If you're familiar with my reviews you're probably asking yourself why I am reviewing a fantasy novel. I know, they aren't my style, but an author I respect 100% suggested it and when J.D. Hollyfield explained the premise a bit more I bought into it. WORTH IT. I loved this book, I might have to read more fantasy like this in the future.

'All we have to do is dangle ye in front of his brother and wait until he breaks.'

The main characters in Unlocking Adeline are so headstrong. Addie and Locke are stubborn characters who are always in denial, it's hilarious. I loved the push pull between these two and that they were both covering up what they really felt due to the pressure on them. Their story is made up of fate, but they're fighting that fate and I think it really brought out some interesting dynamics between the two. It doesn't help that they're from two dimensions, two very different worlds with different ideals and beliefs. That said, I think Addie was written perfectly for the world change, she was so sick of life, of being held back, and this opportunity, though not ideal, really brought out her true self. Definitely loved them both.

Normally I rate fantasy down due to the unbelievable scenarious, but the changing dimension made a world of difference in terms of believability for me. J.D. Hollyfield is an incredibly descriptive writer, she brought Addie's world at home and the skeleton key world of Wren to life. World building is huge for me, so being able to picture the land of Wren like I was seeing it right in front of me was incredible. Unfortunately, I wanted more in terms of character history. While we get the full story by the end of the novel, I was left desperate for a bit more related to the secondary characters. There were a lot of strong emotions left over due to Addie's father and I would have really liked to see those explored more. Plus, with Addie's strong temperment I think it would have expanded the world even more for me.

'His eyes; they are just like in my dad's stories. The crescent moon. The eyes of the prince who comes to claim his princess.'

I really enjoyed J.D. Hollyfield Skeleton Key novel, Unlocking Adeline. It was the perfect book to bring me back into the world of fantasy, as well as a delightful story about family, romance, and fate. I absolutely recommend this one to all readers, even those like me who run from fantasy at every turn. ( )