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Reviewed by Jamie Michele for Readers' Favorite
Janet Wertman’s What Love E’er Meant opens in 1558 as Elizabeth Tudor waits at Hatfield House, her residence, for proof that her half-sister Queen Mary I has died. The message places the twenty-five-year-old princess on England’s throne, where choosing how the kingdom will worship affects every decision. William Cecil, her trusted secretary, urges a marriage that can secure the succession. Robert Dudley, Elizabeth’s childhood friend who serves as Master of the Horse, has a place in her affections that the court watches closely. His marriage to Amy Robsart makes their closeness politically dangerous as rumors gather around the queen. Mary Stuart, the Catholic Queen of Scots and Elizabeth’s cousin, claims England’s crown. Over time, foreign princes become possible husbands whose proposals offer alliances. Elizabeth must decide how love can benefit her kingdom while preserving her sovereign identity. "Husband. Could she really do this? She resolved to try."
Janet Wertman’s What Love E’er Meant gives Elizabeth I a sharp mind, bringing the private thought behind her royal calculations to the reader. Wertman does a beautiful job with Tudor court life, where a gesture can alter the meaning of an entire audience. During Elizabeth’s smallpox illness, Doctor Burcot wraps the feverish queen in scarlet flannel before the hearth, and her startled belief that she is wearing a cardinal’s robes makes Tudor medicine feel human and shows the level of research in every single scene. The lighthearted moments balance the more serious—and there are a lot of heavy subplots—but I chuckled alongside Elizabeth when, at Dudley’s Kenilworth Castle, a hidden fountain drenches a visiting courtier. At its heart is a queen, whose own voice carries her fight, her pride, and her longing to do good to those who need her as best as she can. In every possible way, Wertman makes the woman behind the crown feel present throughout. Intelligently written and absorbing, readers interested in historical fiction will love this book.
