Oh, by the way, this is a LONG review. And i gave it four stars because everything is riding on this book for me, and if it doesn't fit the bill I so desperately hope it does, bad things will happen in my mind.

Hmm. I absolutely adore these two series, and I say "two series'" because, well, it in truth has to be two series'. In the first four books, Elena meets Stefan and Damon, falls for Stefan, becomes a vampire, dies whilest being a vampire, and is a---ghost?---in the fourth book. Then she's brought back to life somehow, still not quite sure how, at the end of the fourth book.
Okay. Happy ending right there.
Then three more books come out, clearly stating in their titles "THE RETURN".
Why am I saying this? Because, let's face it, everything is different for Elena now, and Stefan practically becomes a non-entity while Damon steals the show. And, you know what, I'm happy in a way, because Stefan never really did it for me in the first four books, and I will put the Vampire DIaries in my "Never Read Again Nor Recommend To Anyone Because the Ending was Plain Torture" book series list, along with the Hunger Games series and maybe the Immortals series, if Elena does not end up with Damon.
In the first four books, fine, Damon wasn't just the bad boy, he wasn't even a consideration for Elena because of his "You're mine" attitude towards her. That, I feel, was the only thing to hang on to in the first four books, as the relationship between Stefan and Elena was never fully developed and has rather been annoying for the entire series, both of them in fact. In the Vampire Diaries published in the 1990s, Elena needed to love and be loved by someone who could show her the gentleness and beauty in the world. Now, in the 2000s, Elena needs to show this to Damon, and, in a way, has already. But when she gets Stefan back at the end of the sixth book, Stefan and Elena's emotional connection are, I feel, not only lacking, but... inadequate. You, even if you like the "Stelena" duo, don't feel the fire in their relationship anymore, as the "Delena" relationship now has that flare.
So my point is: DAMON AND ELENA are the ones who belong together now, not Stefan and Elena or Damon and Bonnie. (Bonnie's character, I don't know, has never really interested me. She reminds me of a faithful little chihuahua, not a potential love interest).
This is what I hope will happen: yeah, Damon and Elena make the couple that should be made (and yeah, umm, don't they kiss in the sixth book? A lot? Show deep feelings for each other that make you so freaking giddy you have to stop reading and squeal, even if three lines down the page they get into an argument?) Ummm, Alaric and Meredith... eh... I honestly don't care what happens to them. Their relationship is kind of... uninteresting. Bonnie and Matt, sure, okay, have them end up together. Not for any deep, emotional, I-love-you-so-much-and-I-can-never-be-without-you way, but just because they both need a shoulder to cry on, I think. Oh, Damon should become a vampire again, Elena maybe going to become a vampire, (like, hint at it and not actually write it in), and Stefan I feel nuetral towards. He wants to be human, well, okey-dokey then. He wants to stay a vampire to always and forever protect ELena, even though she isn't in love with him anymore? Super. I know Stefan is supposed to be a major character, but I lack all feeling towards him, and have lacked said feeling since the beginning of the Elena/Stefan/Damon story.
This being said, if Elena ends up with Stefan, or Bonnie with Damon (blech), I will stare at the walls and mope for hours, maybe even days, because that feeling that you've lost someone dear to you? I'd feel that in abundance.
And oh, I read the book synopsis on amazon, and I have to say that I think it hints that Bonnie and Damon are going to end up together. Ver, very sad.