In your case I'd say you need a full DS bike yes. a HT is going to be hard on your body entering Mtb'ing at your age and gender you will need all the help you can get. Woman in general are a bit more careful when they are confronted with technical terrain. I don't know at what level you are riding so can't justify a HT. a HT is for racers, guys that forgo comfort for speed on the hills. Sure Burry rides a DS bike but very few of us have the engine that drives him or Specialized as a Sponsor for the expensive toys.

Your riding style and the terrain you most often ride will determine what you will buy. The problem with this is that usually you find out what your style is and what your favorite terrain is after you have bought your bike and you start riding.

Personally, I think that soft tail/full sus bikes are the best thing since sliced bread. Says the guy that has a hard tail. The only problem with the full sus bikes are, as mentioned above, they can, and in most cases are, pricy.

What you might want to do is find out if there is a "demo day" anywhere and go ride some bikes, suppliers do this so that you can ride before you buy. Some BS's actually also rent out bikes, might prevent you from making an expensive mistake.