Speaking from my experience, I would say that your divorced friends are right .
The reaction I've received from divorced women I've been involved with has been very " appreciative" and "enthusiastic"
Also with single women, but somewhat more dramatic and intense with the divorcees.
Always seem to be a mixture of initial suprise/shock, followed by a somewhat "hungry" look in their eyes.
Certainly they were very passionate and vocal in their reaction, once we got down to bedroom activities, with many requesting meeting up again.
After thinking about it, I could only guess that maybe their husbands were of average size, so perhaps they'd never had the opportunity to experience a large man.
Consider taking your friends advice, you might find their experiences to be true for you too.