Sounds like you're in for some fun! Last November my wife went from No Bike, and ride-shy after falling twice a couple of years back, to entry-level 7-speed step-through town bike (Raleigh Ventura); within a few weeks she was joining me on my regular 5-mile climb, and this summer we toured together for a week in France.
She still rides the brakes on the descents, but considering what she has accomplished I'm ready to cut her all the slack she wants on this.
Of course if she starts dropping me I hope she''ll return the favor...