In the mood for rivals to lovers romance trope? Then check out this book because it has it all!

These two characters butt heads from the beginning since they worked against each other. But that doesn't stop their undying attraction for each other. You can tell their sparks for each other. But it's not easy since they are rivals competing each other.

Expected a lot of drama, especially from family.

Drew and Camille are both struggling to do what’s right for their families, even if it means sacrificing their happiness with each other. A great story and characters.

Well, this book was charming, and sweet and so very endearing! I owe Ari big time for introducing me to North To You, a foodie romance debut that swept me off my feet. It’s not always that I encounter a debut novel that immediately makes me fall in love with the author’s writing, and turn me into a life-long fan, but Tif Marcelo’s North To You did exactly that for me.

This is a book that has a lot of heart to it, and it’s all thanks to the lovable characters. These are characters that are built up so solidly throughout the book that you grow to know every aspect of their personalities intimately. And what great personalities they had! I immediately clicked with the heroine, Camille, a passionate food truck owner, because of how resilient she was. She has had many obstacles thrown her way, but she continued to rise up from every difficult situation she has faced. Camille was hardworking, and very devoted to her sister’s success and happiness; the sacrifices she made for her sister warmed my heart! I just wanted for her to find the happiness she deserved. And she find that with Drew, quite possibly one of the best love interests I have ever read. Drew, a military man, was back home in San Francisco to help his family out with the family restaurant renovations. I loved this guy so much. He was a sweetheart, a complete gentleman, and kind beyond words. I easily warmed up to his character, and was giddy that we got his POV as well. There’s nothing to hate about this guy, and even when he did falter, it’s easy to forgive him.

His and Camille’s relationship was a highlight of North To You. It was a second-chance romance, but not in the typical way. These two knew each other as high-school freshmen, and had a lot of chemistry together, but nothing happened because Camille moved away. When they unexpectedly meet again at a festival, their connection sparks alive. I loved their budding romance! Camille is initially hesitant because she’s very resistant to opening up to someone else, and with Drew’s deployment to Iraq looming over, their relationship could have easily gone awry. However, Tif Marcelo weaves their relationship in a way that makes you forget about those elements. There’s a comfort level to their romance that had me smiling. With all the banter, the fun touristy dates they go on, the steamy chemistry, and the emotional conversations they had, there was absolutely no way I could not have gone gaga over this lovable couple. I just loved them so much.

North To You was much more than a fluffy romance though. Family plays a significant role here. We see that through the relationships between Camille and her sister, as well as Drew and his family. I loved how Drew’s family was depicted here. This is a Filipino American family that reminded me a lot of my own. The expectations that Drew’s father had for him, the big family meals, and the loyalty and love between the family members were brilliantly written. I love when families are portrayed with all their complexities. Before I wrap up this review, I’ve got to mention all the food and restaurant references. With Camille’s food truck which featured yummy paninis, and Drew’s dad’s restaurant with all the Filipino food, I was just constantly hungry throughout the book! I also really liked how Tif Marcelo discussed the impact, good and bad, of social media on small businesses. I thought it added another something special to the book.

Alright. I loved this book, so please buy it. I promise you, you won’t regret it. It’s pure food and romance heaven, and doesn’t that sound amazing?

What a fantastic debut! There was so much to love about North to You - the wonderful family dynamics, the delightful and relatable characters, the perfect dose of romance, and a swoon-worthy male lead. I loved Camilla and at turns ached for her pain under the weight of loss and responsibility, and cheered at for her triumphs and successes (in life and love). Drew was just everything - alpha, determined, yet gentlemanly in his pursuit at a second chance with Camilla. His desire to help is father and earn his respect was admirable and also really relatable. But my favorite aspect of the book was the peek into Filipino culture that it provided. It seemed so very realistic and it made me want to explore more. I really enjoyed North to You and plan on continuing on with the series.

I enjoyed North to You so very much! It was so sweet and swoony and I loved the family dynamic on both Camille and Drew's sides. It was such a great read. I'm gonna go on record here and say there need to be more romances that feature food truck owners. This is the second I've read in the last month or so and I loved them both. Both were also from new-to-me authors — and in this case, a debut author! 

So, food truck aside... y'all know I love my second chance romances. That love is probably 70% of what made me pick up this book. The other 30% is split between the cover and the raving rec one of my fellow book-loving friends gave it. I did not want to put this book down once I started reading it. Camille and Drew were wonderful characters. Their reuniting "meet-cute" was charming and I loved getting a chance to know what happened in their past, while trying to also figure out if they had a future together. There were plenty of strikes against them — but there was absolutely no denying they belonged together. 

I loved Camille and admired her strength and tenacity. Running a business is serious stuff and she was doing an admirable job, despite the setbacks that seemed to just keep happening. I really liked the relationship she and her sister had, which made Camille's desire to help Ally off to school. She did wind up sacrificing a lot for her sister and I'd be lying if i didn't admit it choked me up a bit. Drew's relationship with his family was a little different. There's quite a bit of tension there because his father doesn't necessarily approve of his career in the Army. He believes he should be at home, running the family's restaurant. But, there's still plenty of love and respect there. I liked watching that father-son relationship develop over the course of this book nearly as much as I did the one between Drew and Camille. Plus, Drew was super freaking swoony and sweet, so that didn't hurt any either. 

The progression of the relationship between Camille and Drew just made me happy. It's a huge part of why I enjoyed this book as much as I did. North to You has a whole lot of heart and delivered plenty of feels. It was sweet, swoony, sexy and even funny. The food truck vs. restaurant storyline made for a good story setup and was fun to read. I really enjoyed several of the secondary characters and can't wait to see where Tif Marcelo takes this series. North to You was a wonderful debut, kicking off a series I'm already addicted to. In fact, I'm counting down the days until I can read the second book, East in Paradise.

FAVORITE QUOTES

This kiss isn't new. It's nostalgic, wistful.

Our kiss becomes combustible. Like fire, it spreads through me, all consuming. Our tongues crash and tangle. They spar like hunter and prey, neither backing down.

"Let me be the one who you hang on to, even for today."

Our beating hearts become a unified metronome, bringing forth the silent words I haven't been able to conjure.

This title has not clicked for me initially. I am sharing it with followers and who all love a second chance romance.
I will certainly be revisiting it soon.

Camille is a young food truck owner trying to keep herself and her younger sister afloat. Raising her younger sister can be a stressful job most of the time but Camille takes the job with lots of love. While out with a close friend she runs into an old flame from high school and what we get out of that is a cute second chance love story.

North to You was such a cute little story that had me hungry from the very first page. I haven't read very many, if any New Adult books that have a food theme so I was very excited to get to this book. Reading about the food truck industry as well as the restaurant industry was so interesting to me because I haven't seen it before. Plus I love a good second chance romance so reading this was right up my alley. Although I did really like this cute little book I did have some issues with certain aspects of it.

First I thought that the pacing was a bit too fast for me. I understand they had already known each other before, but I would've loved to see them take a bit more time to reconnect and get to know each other again rather than to move at the fast pace they did at times. And I think this would've helped them to have a few less issues that they had in the book. Another issue I had was the "I can't tell him or her this insignificant issue so I'll keep it a secret even though I should tell them" trope. This is something that always bothers me in NA books because I feel like it creates unnecessary problems for the couples, when telling the "secret" could really help them out. This is just a personal issue I tend to have, and I mean no offense to anyone who takes no issue with it.

I still think it was a cute and easy to read story and I am excited to see what else this author comes out with!!

My heart was warmed and lightened by this beautiful romance that held my emotions. This romance was a second chance to make all their dreams come true except on things stood in their way. Family. Sometimes family has a way of making your life more complicated than it ought to be. I found a unique spin on the romance of chef (food truck) and a soldier soon to be deployed. I loved their chemistry. I loved how hey interacted with each other. I found that this was more than I initially bargained for. I got me a good read that had a nice pace, some minor flaws, some annoying people, some good food, some delicious banter, and a warm second chance romance.

North to You open a new door to romance in this time frame. Not every romance have to have a millionaire, billionaire, bad boy attached to it. This was average America with family issues both inside the family and out. A romance that was on a timeline due to deployment and much more. Camille had her work cut out for her to win a standing, make a stand and claim what was hers. Drew was working hard to create a new relationship, mend an old relationship and still stay true to himself. Its that second time around that makes it all worth it.

This book was cute but very slow. I was excited to read a book about San Francisco because we lived there for a few years. I wanted to love it, but it was meh...It was a little too sweet for my taste.

I have found another second chance romance and can’t wait for you all to read it as well! North to You by Tif Marcelo gives us love, family, friendships, “adulting” and all of the responsibilities that come along with it. In life we need to make many choices, some are easy and some are not. Some decisions will transform your future in a positive way, some in a negative way. You just never know what will happen. North to You does just this, decisions are made and futures are drawn, it’s what happens in the in between that shapes who you are.

Camille and Andrew, childhood sweethearts, torn apart at a young age and they spend years without each other. Chance brings them back to their hometown for unconnected reasons. Fate brings them back together and things click into place.

“I’m bound to him with leftover feelings that are so innocent and pure, feelings I’m not sure where to place now that they’ve been pulled from memories packed away.”

Watching them reconnect was beautiful. I’m not one for coincidental meetings or chance encounters that spark a story, but this was perfect. Both of them brought back to their roots and brought back together. Drew and Camille are playful with each other and try to keep things light and fun, they have limited time together and want it to be just right.

“What we had last night was perfect. But more than that? A perfect recipe for a hot mess.”

Camille is described by Drew as being relentless, stubborn and headstrong. I would have to agree. She has come so far and given so much and she has the will to keep going. Drew is there by her side, even without knowing the true extent of what she has done.

There were times where I wished they had communicated more of their lives to one another, been more open and less guarded. In hindsight though, it worked for them. They both did what they thought was necessary….a necessary evil if you will.

“Day by day, minute by minute. The present is all that counts.”

Camille and Andrew truly do make the present count. With the trials and tribulations they are presented they make the most of it and take things as they come. Is it always neat and easy, absolutely not, but nothing is life worth fighting for ever is.

North to You is a breath of fresh air in the world of second chances. Tif Marcelo takes the familiar trope of lost love, adds heat from the kitchen and heart from the family and makes it her own.

Drew and Camille haven’t seen each other since high school when she disappeared to live with her grandmother after the death of her parents. However, when they run into each other, the old chemistry still works and they are drawn to each other again.

At first, Camille keeps a lot of her life private because Drew is leaving in a few weeks for duty in Iraq and she has the commitments of her younger sister and her food truck. Slowly she opens up more and more until Drew discovers that Camille is the owner of the food truck that’s set up near his family’s restaurant and he’s pulled between his love for Camille and his loyalty to his family and their livelihood. He wavers just long enough in not telling the truth to Camille for her to feel as though she can’t trust him. This, in combination with the coincidence of who has loaned her money, is too much for Camille.

I thought this was a great start to a series as well as an awesome debut novel by Tif Marcelo. I liked how important family and friendships were to both Camille and Drew, it leant a great deal of warmth to the novel.

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I LOVED this!!

North to You is a foodie, romantic, second chance novel that had me hooked from the first page. With quotes from Paul Hollywood, a main character who watches Heart of Dixie (which one of my favourite shows but painfully underrated, so this was hugely appreciated!) and so.much.food. It was almost impossible for me not to fall for this book.

There were romantic, platonic, business and family relationships present and I loved reading about each of them and their different dynamics. I loved that North to You wasn't purely focused the physical relationships, there was a genuine plot and a fantastic one at that.

Something I absolutely LOVED, was the food aspect. I'm a foodie and always drawn to books with cooking as a main plot point (which needs to happen more please?!) so this instantly appealed to me but the thing I enjoyed so much about this, was how unique it was. Drew's family own a Filipino restaurant, so the introduction to different foods, dishes and ways of cooking was so refreshing and interesting!
I also hadn't quite anticipated this making me want to run away to San Fransisco and run a food truck!!

Overall, this was fantastic. It had everything you could want in a book, plus cake pops. It had romance, depth, family, second chances and so much more, whilst also delving into the culinary business and Filipino culture. Simple put, I loved it. I'm ecstatic that this is the first in a series and one that I absolutely can't want to continue with!

First and foremost, congratulations Tif Marcelo for your lovely and heartwarming debut novel!

Andrew and Cami's story is so close to my heart. The fact that Andrew Bautista is a Filipino, his family owned a Filipino restaurant and the values and practices are much seen on him, I super love Drew! He is respectful, patient and understanding not only because he is in the army but it is because of his admirable personality. He knows his duty and responsibility and I salute him to the fullest.

Camille is a brave and determined protagonist. She is a reflection of a modern woman who would do every time for the family and achieving her dreams. She is a big sister that do not easily gives up.

Reading this novel makes me hungry with the delicious Italian and Filipino dishes and reminisce the times that I was in San Francisco. Yes, I could relate to it and it was like going back to memory lane.

I can't wait for the Journey to the Heart #2! I hope Cami and Drew are still in it because they are adorable and wonderful couple.

That's Normal Post date TBD
Who hasn’t imagined running into your high school crush now? Of course, you’d look fabulous and be charmingly witty, making him wish he could turn back time to when he stood a chance with you.

Camille and Drew quite literally run into each other at a festival in San Francisco ten years after Camille left school one day to never return. Now, Camille is back living in SF running her own food truck and Drew is on a month long leave before deploying to Iraq. They want to rekindle their old flame, but, with a deadline looming, Camille sets a ground rule: no talking about anything real. I think Camille needs to read a few romance novels, because this is guaranteed to go wrong. And it does, when she unknowingly parks her food truck in front of Drew’s family’s (under construction to save it) restaraunt.

North to You was a quick romantic read with a lot of heart, perfect for summer. I look forward to reading more as the series continues (the next book is supposed to be called East in Paradise and out in September). Now good luck getting through it without having to hunting down your favorite gourmet grilled cheese food truck.

4.5 stars – Rounded

A wonderfully rich second chance romance with a foodie theme, Tif Marcelo brings us the story of Camille and Drew, some years after their first romance soured. Having had a restaurant that was on the edge of being the next big thing, refusing to serve one rowdy but well-known favorite sport hero left Camille with few options and a need to leave. Picking up her life with a busy and well-regarded food truck, she’s managing her work and her younger sister that she cares for, and little room is left for other things. But a chance encounter with her high school ex, back in town to help with his father’s Filipino restaurant: the two come face to face for the first time in ages. As direct competition to Drew’s family restaurant, there are choices: work on his relationship with family and shun and battle Camille and her truck, or take a chance at love with Camille once again.

I was so pleasantly surprised with this debut: Marcelo obviously knows her characters well, and she’s added scenery, smells and food to enliven and deepen the story’s impact. With both Camille and Andrew having a wonderful sense of family loyalty, determination and a never-say-die attitude toward achieving their dreams, they are perfectly suited, even as I felt that Camille would have known that the restaurant she is parking in front of (and taking business from) was also the family business of her newly reacquainted love interest.

Their early story is provided in flashback, and when you combine those sweet and innocent moments with the actual sparks that flash between them now, the cuteness overload on this one was high. While not without a few repeat issues and one thread that just got old quickly, the story was engaging, adorable and clever: clever enough that I’m curious to see what the next in the series will bring.

I received an eArc copy of the title from the publisher via NetGalley for purpose of honest review. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own responsibility.

Review first appeared at <a href=” http://wp.me/p3OmRo-90U/” > <a> I am, Indeed </a>

Favorite Quote: “I don’t think I can be a gentleman for much longer.” I suck in a breath as her hands come forward to the buckle of my belt.

“I don’t think I asked you to be one.” She jerks me closer.

Debut author? Check. A heroine who owns a food truck? Check. A hero who is a super good guy and gets a second chance at wooing his girl? CHECK.

Drew is in the army but home on leave for a few weeks in his home town of San Francisco. His parents, from the Philippines, own a Filipino restaurant called True North that needs some updates and a new image. His family is very close-knit, and Drew’s father really wants Drew to abandon the army and come back home and run the restaurant – but this is not what Drew wants. He doesn’t mind helping out while he is home on leave, but managing a restaurant is not something he sees for his future.

Out one night with his buddies, he runs into his former crush from high school, Camille and he can’t believe it. Camille owns a food truck called Lucianna, and she specializes in homemade breads, meatballs and paninis. She does well for herself as her food is amazing and she utilizes social media well. The food truck business in San Francisco is very competitive though, so it’s always stressful making sure you have a good spot and trying to out do your competitors. Camille is dedicated to this and is very passionate about this industry. She too is shocked to see Drew. Having dated briefly but intensely in high school, only to have Camille move away very suddenly, their reunion is a bit awkward. But Drew wants to rekindle their romance, badly. Camille is definitely interested but also a bit wary as she knows Drew only has a limited amount of time before he has to go back to the middle east.

This man and I know nothing about each other as adults except for what we revealed in the last hour. He knows nothing of my dreams and hopes. I don’t understand the life he’s chosen. And yet I’m bound to him with leftover feelings that are so innocent and pure, feelings I’m not sure where to place now that they’ve been pulled from memories packed away.

One thing is sure. Right now is perfect.

I approach him, place my hands on his chest.

He rests his fingers lightly on my waist. “Camille – ”

I stop him with a kiss.

They start a sexy romance but they each keep a secret – Camille doesn’t tell Drew she owns Lucianna and Drew doesn’t tell Cam his family owns True North – and when she starts parking outside of True North, this causes some competitive drama between the two.

This author does such a nice job not only in letting the readers really get to know Camille and Drew well but also immersing us in the food truck business. If you are a foodie, you will enjoy this book. I could see Camille preparing and selling all her food – the sights and sounds of it all. It made me damn hungry. Camille really wants to prove to herself and to the memory of her late grandmother that she can be successful at this. She puts a ton of pressure on herself, and you can feel that it really weighs her down. She also wants to be able to send her sister to an exclusive art school – more pressure to make things work. Drew is there as a great support system, even if he doesn’t know at first exactly what she does. He finds out about her food truck first, and then keeps it a secret that his family owns True North – as there is a little social media war between the two. But Drew is such a good guy. Trying to help his family out with the restaurant, and trying not to let the guilt of not following in his father’s footsteps overcome him. His parents put pressure on him and he learns to stand up for himself and draw up some solid boundaries. I liked his back story a lot.

Their romance builds at a steady pace throughout the book and made me smile a lot. The author allows Drew to court Camille and it’s so romantic. They do silly tourist stuff, and just hang out and get to know one another.

I’m hoping book two features two supporting characters in this book who have a secretive romance of their own.

Definitely give this one a try.

Grade: B+

This debut novel from Tif Marcelo is a sweet, fun and heartfelt romance that delivers on everything it promises. Hot army hero ? Check. Lot of delicious food descriptions ? Check. San Francisco regional specificity ? Check. I really appreciated that Marcelo’s 25-years-old characters read like actual 25-year-olds with their pop culture references and the way they used social media.

Fair warning this romance is in first person which was a good fit for the book,  but I know is a turn off for some romance readers. Also, while it isn’t a total fade to black situation, Marcelo doesn’t linger on details and the love scenes tend to cut out before things get really hot and heavy.

North to You is an excellent debut novel for Tif Marcelo. Camille and Drew have a sweet chemistry and the concept is an interesting, unique one.

Camille owns a popular panini food truck in the Bay Area. She's working on getting the word out about her truck, so she can pay off her debts and help send her younger sister to college, but it's not easy going considering that a local Filipino restaurant is making things really difficult for her truck. When she runs into her high school crush, Drew, at Bay to Breakers, she isn't thrilled to see him. Well, she is, but she isn't. They soon find that they can't keep away from each other, though, and their chemistry is even more intense than it was in high school. But when Camille finds out the secret that Drew has been keeping from her, it has the power to destroy their burgeoning relationship.

I really like North to You, it's well written with engaging, interesting characters. I love the fact that Drew is Filipino, as I don't often find characters of my own ethnicity in romances, and the premise of North to You is an out of the box, unique one. Kudos to Tif on her debut novel!