The Coelura is a short, easy read. Probably the main problem with it is that it is so short it's not exactly worth what paperbacks cost right now...  The artwork throughout the copy I own is intriguing, however.

Lady Caissa is the dutiful and accomplished daughter of the Ambassador of the Federated Sentient Planets. She is considering her first contract marriage. Her father's choice proves unacceptable.

She is also quite curious about  the mysterious, unfulfilled clause in the contract between her parents, one that brings her mother back regularly. She finally hears of coelura, a mysterious life form on the planet.

On a trip out, she fails to check the charge on her vehicle  and has to land in the forbidden territories. This accident leads her to discover coelura and drives the rest of the story.

This is not the best of stories, but it would be worth reading as part of an anthology. It's at least as much romance as it is science fiction.