In her author’s note, Jimenez says that Sloan’s character was inspired by Jimenez’s childhood friend, who lost her husband and retreated from life. Jimenez states that writing the novel was “a cathartic exercise, my own way of working through the confusing, shattered aftermath I was witnessing, a way to make my friend better, even if it was just fiction—because nothing I did in real life seemed to help her” (Jimenez, Abby. “Author’s Note.” The Happy Ever After Playlist, 2020). Prolonged or persistent complex grief disorder (PGD), another name for complicated grief, is a condition that arises when the typical mourning process becomes too intense and ongoing to allow the person to move on with their life. Profound sadness that does not go away and may even get worse over months or years characterizes complicated grief, in contrast to regular grief, which may come and go over time. This disorder is a significant mental health condition since it can affect a person’s emotional, physical, and social well-being. 

Losing a loved one is an intensely emotional and intimate process. The degree and duration of grief, which is a normal response to death, vary based on the individual and their relationship with the deceased.