SK + Shaman

[Allaanna]

My wife and I are starting a duo of two characters. I have a shaman already, and she tends to like tankier melee toons. She played a shadowknight in EQ2, I played a cleric in EQ1 and Inquisitor in EQ2.

I originally started a cleric to run with her SK, but I felt like the shaman would be a better partner, having slow, haste, ect which would vastly improve our ability to kill quickly and stronger mobs in duo situations.
Am I on track here? Should I stick with the shaman? Both are equally viable to me when it comes to preference.

As far as the SK, should I try to sway her toward playing a Monk? Some people say it is more viable, but I think she might prefer the SK and the utility it provides. It the monk worth the trade-off when it comes to viability, and will it really be much better at being able to duo tough content?

Thanks all