Excellent advice. My wife was working in another town and a guy started stalking her. I went to the gun store and bought her a KelTek P-11 9mm. She hated it. She fired it once and the recoil was too much for her (it weighs about 14 ounces empty).
She eventually selected my favorite pistol as her choice for home defense. It's a Colt Diamondback 38 special with custom grips. It fits her hand well, it has manageable recoil, and she shoots it very well. It's simple to operate and doesn't require a lot of practice.
I could have saved some money (to buy a Glock) if I had let her choose her own weapon.
I had the same experience. I thought the Kel Tec P-3AT/.380 would be great for her. It fit her hand, but she didn't like the recoil. So, now I have another gun for my collection, which isn't so bad. :-)