Whiskey When We're Dry by John Larison

Her mother died when she was born, her father fell from his horse and died when she was fourteen, and she has to marry to survive.  Or did she?

Viking and Edelweiss gave me the opportunity to read this book for review (thank you).  It will be published August 21st.

She cuts her hair, dresses in her brother's old clothes and heads out on the road.  She's going west after her brother.  She finds a lot more than her brother there.

Her disguise works well.  Her problem is that doesn't protect her much.  The bigger men try to steal her money or kill her.  She finds herself killing a man and mourning the death.  The farther she goes, the more desperate she gets.  She finally settles on sharp shooting to make some money on bets.  That works until the Governor takes her under his wing.  Then she's just a tool.

When she finds her brother, that's not like she thought either.  She's also developed a taste for whiskey.

There are a lot of ways her life could have turned out but this wasn't really a good one.  I was hoping for a happy ever after but staying alive was an accomplishment in this story...