The Beast Compendium of Stretland by Chelsea Starling

The Beast Compendium of Stretland by Chelsea StarlingThe Beast Compendium of Stretland by Chelsea Starling
Published by Self Published on July 31, 2025
Genres: Fantasy, Romance
Pages: 301
Format: ARC
Source: BookSirens
Purchase on: Amazon// Barnes & Noble// BookBub
Add to: Goodreads // StoryGraph

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.



Seren Cottingley comes from a family of great wealth in the capital, but her love for entomology and magic alienates her from society. She must cut away parts of herself to fit in. To stop their daughter from being ostracised, the Cottingleys arrange for her to be married off to a duke. With two dead wives already, Seren’s betrothal may as well be a noose.

With the fear of her scientific research being taken from her, as well as her life, Seren flees to the south. She enlists a grumpy mercenary to escort her through the infamous Waldeck Forest while she compiles a beast compendium before marriage locks her into a cage. Leander, who struggles with his foreign heritage, indulges all of her interests and teaches her how to survive in the forest that seems to have claws and teeth. Despite familial expectations laying heavy on her shoulders, Leander offers Seren a reason to never return to the capital.

This cozy, low-stakes book is perfect for romantasy lovers.

five-stars

review

There’s something so wholesome and comforting about girls with an atypical hyperfocus. When I read the synopsis for The Beast Compendium of Stretland by Chelsea Starling, I was so excited to pick it up. I hate bugs, but I love girls that love bugs. Like, hell yeah girl, be better than I could ever be. And she absolutely was!

After reading so many dark romances in a row (interspersed with billionaire romances,) Seren was such a refreshing FMC. She acknowledges her privilege and her duties, but never whines about it. She simply understands that is the lot she was given in life and seeks to make the most of it while she can. Everything Seren does is to the fullest. She is so exuberant and bubbly, but at the same time, realistic. She made for an amazing sunshine character to match with Leander, the pessimist grump who agrees to accompany her on her journey to ensure her safety. Unlike MMCs in a lot of other romances, Leander absolutely has a good reason to start off gruff and negative. Not only is he nursing a broken heart, and the consequences of unfounded faith and optimism, but he’s also trudging through larger societal issues of racism and colorism. Even still, Seren’s undimming positivity is infectious and Leander slowly begins coming to terms with his past. Watching him realize he needed to stop stewing and start taking control of his life, to begin accepting the past and move on. It was great character growth. Seren also went through a satisfying development, though technically, a big part of the payoff IS off page…

The romance itself was absolutely sweet and cozy. This felt just so warm and tender, I couldn’t help but smile as I read. Watching how Seren and Leander influence one another, encourage the other’s growth, and eventually decide to come together, felt so natural and organic. The worldbuilding was super interesting and it felt like Starling had a good grasp on her world, and I wanted a lot more! Though, I think if we did get deeper into the specifics of the world, I fear it’d take away from the cozy romance feel of it all. Still, the creatures were super interesting and I loved the actual entries from Seren’s budding compendium.

If you are a romance or romantasy reader and just want something cozy and tender and warm hearted, I definitely think you’ll love The Beast Compendium of Stretland by Chelsea Starling. It doesn’t take itself too seriously, has well fleshed out characters, a sweet romance, and a solid foundation for a new fantasy series. It does end on a bit of a cliffhanger, BUT not an unsatisfying one.

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