I'm going to suggest her trying a Cannondale Quick 3 or 2. I'm an older woman, like your friend, and I didn't want drop bars. But I wanted a hybrid that was more road oriented. I got the Quick 3. We set the bike up with for a more aggressive, road-like position. It's pretty quick and nimble. In fact, I've recently decided to go ahead and get a road bike, and several of the slightly-above-entry level bikes I've tried weren't any quicker than my hybrid. So I decided to go carbon, lol.

I've done 35 and 40 mile rides with my hybrid, and can do 14-16 mph. I don't have hand trouble with the single position of a flat bar, the ergon grips give me some different positions for moving my wrists and I wear gloves.

The Sirrus mentioned above would be similar. Or she might not mind going to a road bike with a more relaxed position, like the Cannondale Synapse or Specialized Dolce or Ruby. They're a little more costly, though.