Originally Posted by
fietsbob
let your wife decide, take her to the shop for test rides.
Bike shop bikes are properly assembled and they service what they sell
better to get a used good bike than a marginal new bike.
+1
And I'd probably be leaning toward a decent hybrid or a lightweight mtn bike, one which you could put road-style tyres onto. Something that she could ride on the road or on light gravel.
Also make sure that the gearing is reliable. Nothing kills a ride like trying to shift when you're heading up hill only to have the chain fall off or something.