Diamond Girl (film)

Plot

Claire Barnard (Joely Collins), an unassuming paralegal, works in a small law office for Denny Montana (Kevin Otto), a carefree lawyer more interested in playing tennis and chasing women than he is in his work. Claire's quiet efficiency is largely responsible for Denny's successful law practice. After her parents died in a car accident, Claire has looked after her younger brother Sean. In addition to her normal work responsibilities, Claire has helped Denny manage his family's Napa Valley vineyard and prepare negotiations for the sales merger of the property. In the four years she's worked for Denny, Claire has kept her romantic feelings for him to herself.

Denny's haughty older brother Regan Montana (Jonathan Cake) arrives and quickly takes over Claire's office and the planned merger negotiations. After completing his education at Yale and establishing a successful legal career in London, Regan has returned to Napa Valley to help with the sales merger of the family's vineyard. Fearing his younger brother has been talked into a poor agreement by attractive real estate broker Margo De La Vera, Regan knows he can get a lot more money for his family's award-winning Napa Hills winery.

Regan soon learns that Claire was responsible for drafting the details of the proposed merger, and realizes that he will need her help to achieve a better financial deal for his family. He is suspicious of the motives of the prospective buyer, Jean-Marc Bernier. To impress Bernier, he takes Claire to a makeover spa and provides her with expensive stylish clothes, transforming the unassuming paralegal into a glamorous woman. Denny and Margo are both impressed and surprised by her transformation.

Regan explains to Claire that the sultry Margo has Denny unwilling to hold out for more money, having convinced him that Bernier is the only buyer. Regan proposes a plan to Claire to get his brother away from Margo's influence and more open to his own plan. He intends on using Denny's competitive nature to his advantage by pretending to be in love with Claire, which he knows will turn Denny's attention away from Margo and to Claire. Denny walks in just in time to see them kiss, and they begin their charade.

Claire and Regan continue to investigate Bernier's background and conclude that Bernier intends to bottle cheap wine from his other holdings with the Napa Hill label. As their charade continues, Claire begins to fall in love with Regan, especially after seeing how well he gets along with Sean. Meanwhile, Denny grows increasingly jealous seeing his brother with Claire. When Regan leaves town for a few days, Denny asks Claire to dinner at his place. During the romantic dinner, Regan shows up unexpectedly and rushes her off to work on the negotiations—clearly jealous.

Bernier eventually agrees to Regan's demand for an additional two million dollars, and a jubilant Denny arranges for the parties to meet at the vineyard to close the deal. At Napa Hills, Regan confesses to Claire his unhappiness with selling the property that was first purchased by his grandfather. Regan's mother Abby (Dyan Cannon) hopes that they will not sell and that Regan will stay and manage the vineyard himself. Regan shows Claire the property and reveals more about his life, and the two share an intimate kiss. Later, however, Claire is heartbroken when she overhears Regan tell his mother that there is nothing to keep him here and that he plans to leave for London. Denny arrives to see Claire crying and comforts her. He confesses that it was competition with Regan rather than Claire herself that drove him to pursue her. He talks her into pretending to be in love with him in order to make Regan jealous.

At the closing, Regan makes additional demands and negotiations eventually fall apart. That night, after seeing his brother kiss Claire, Regan comes to Claire's room and the two make passionate love. The next morning, Regan attempts to leave for London—unable to commit to his feelings for Claire—but Denny talks him into returning to her, telling him that he has to stop running away from the things that he loves. Back at the vineyard, Regan finally confesses his love to Claire, and the two begin a new life together at Napa Hills.

Cast

Filming

Diamond Girl was filmed on location in Toronto, Ontario, Canada and Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa.

Releases

Diamond Girl was released on DVD on February 6, 2008 by Lionsgate as part of the Harlequin Romance Series.