08 Jun Book Review Nothing Proved Janet Wertman #HistoricalFiction #TudorFiction #ElizabethTudor #BlogTour #TheCoffeePotBookClub @cathiedunn

FEATURED AUTHOR: JANET WERTMAN

I’m delighted to welcome Janet Wertman as the featured author in The Coffee Pot Book Club Blog Tour, being held between May 20th –  June 10th, 2025. Janet Wertman is the author of the Historical Fiction, Nothing Proved (Regina series, Book 1), that was independently published on May 19, 2025 (376 pages).

Below are highlights of Nothing Proved, Janet Wertman’s author bio, and my 5-star review of her insightful novel about the formative years of Queen Elizabeth I.

Tour Schedule Page: https://thecoffeepotbookclub.blogspot.com/2025/04/blog-tour-nothing-proved-by-janet-wertman.html

HIGHLIGHTS: NOTHING PROVED

Nothing Proved
(Regina series, Book 1)
by Janet Wertman

Blurb:

Danger lined her path, but destiny led her to glory…

Elizabeth Tudor learned resilience young. Declared illegitimate after the execution of her mother Anne Boleyn, she bore her precarious position with unshakable grace. But upon the death of her father, King Henry VIII, the vulnerable fourteen-year-old must learn to navigate a world of shifting loyalties, power plays, and betrayal.

After narrowly escaping entanglement in Thomas Seymour’s treason, Elizabeth rebuilds her reputation as the perfect Protestant princess – which puts her in mortal danger when her half-sister Mary becomes Queen and imposes Catholicism on a reluctant land. Elizabeth escapes execution, clawing her way from a Tower cell to exoneration. But even a semblance of favor comes with attempts to exclude her from the throne or steal her rights to it through a forced marriage. 

Elizabeth must outwit her enemies time and again to prove herself worthy of power. The making of one of history’s most iconic monarchs is a gripping tale of survival, fortune, and triumph.

Buy Links:

Universal Buy Link: https://books2read.com/u/bM8Vrk

Additional Buy Links:

Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/nothing-proved-janet-wertman/1146831389

Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/nothing-proved

Apple: https://books.apple.com/us/book/nothing-proved/id6740549129

AUTHOR BIO: JANET WERTMAN

By day, Janet Wertman is a freelance grantwriter for impactful nonprofits. By night, she writes critically acclaimed, character-driven historical fiction – indulging a passion for the Tudor era she had harbored since she was eight years old and her parents let her stay up late to watch The Six Wives of Henry VIII and Elizabeth R.

Her Seymour Saga trilogy (Jane the Quene, The Path to Somerset, The Boy King) took her deep into one of the era’s central families – and now her follow-up Regina series explores Elizabeth’s journey from bastard to icon.

Janet also runs a blog (www.janetwertman.com) where she posts interesting takes on the Tudors and what it’s like to write about them.

Author Links:

Website       Facebook       LinkedIn     Instagram     Bluesky

Pinterest        Book Bub      Amazon Author Page       Goodreads    

BOOK REVIEW: NOTHING PROVED

Stained by her disgraced mother, Anne Boleyn, danger looms over Princess Elizabeth during her formative years. The only way she can survive and remain in the line of succession that was decreed in the Third Succession Act prior to the death of her father, King Henry VIII, is to outwit her political adversaries and wear a mask that hides her true feelings. Nothing Proved by Janet Wertman is an insightful and engaging book delving into the mind of Elizabeth I as she hides her true motives behind a facade of deference. The book begins when eleven-year-old Elizabeth, under the tutelage of William Cecil, declares, “Our highest calling is reason, not destruction…I do not want to marry.” Elizabeth’s words will hold true as she outmaneuvers adversaries vying for power.

The story unfolds chronologically when Elizabeth’s line of succession is threatened on the deathbed of her younger half-brother, King Edward VI, when he bequeathes his crown to his Protestant cousin, Lady Jane Grey, ignoring the claims of his two half-sisters. Joining forces with her half-sister Mary, Elizabeth avoids the fate of Lady Jane Grey, a naive political pawn executed for treason. Nonetheless, Queen Mary’s suspicions of Elizabeth’s loyalty wavers as other plots to usurp her are uncovered.Thomas Wyatt’s rebellion of 1554 implicates Elizabeth directly, and she is arrested and sent to the Tower of London. No evidence is found against Elizabeth, but she remains under house arrest as she tries to draw favor from Mary. Despite the odds, Elizabeth’s accession to the throne upon Mary’s death is without incident. 

Although there have been many books written and films made about Queen Elizabeth, author Janet Wertman has masterfully crafted a story about a young woman learning to mask her true feelings so she can survive the turbulent politics of Tudor England.  Though Elizabeth is often struck internally with terror that could make her physically sick, her demeanor with adversaries remains steadfast and reason.

The author skillfully dives into Elizabeth’s internal thoughts as she skillfully plays her role as a loyal subject willing to bend to her sister’s demands of practicing the rituals of a Catholic. Even so, Elizabeth holds strong in her commitment not to marry, thus avoiding the pitfalls of other married queens before her. The point of view of William Cecil is dispersed throughout the story so the reader can fully understand the machinations of powerful figures trying to control the fate of Elizabeth. This is an engaging, character-driven novel filled with political intrigue of a young woman learning the Machiavellian strategies for gaining power.

I highly recommend Nothing Proved for its engaging insight into a young woman, wise beyond her years, who ultimately wins the game of thrones in the Tudor dynasty through resilience, self-control, and cunning.  

Twitter: @cathiedunn
Instagram & Threads: @thecoffeepotbookclub
Bluesky: @cathiedunn.bsky.social